Poltergeist
by Lordoftheghostking28
Summary: (AU) Yomiel has been on the run from Sith and his mysterious group of assassans for ten years. Just when he finally begins to believe he is safe, a man named Tengo is arrested. During his trial, a gunfight breaks out and a young lawyer by the name of Phoenix Wright is killed. Major spoilers for both Ghost Trick and Ace Attorney.
1. Turnabout Spirits

**CHAPTER 1, TURNABOUT SPIRITS**

**XxXxXxXx**

**Guess who's not dead! …Or hired…**

**I broke out of writer's block for a few weeks, and I started this story. I figured if I post it, it'll give me the motivation to keep writing this. **

_**WARNING**_**! EXTREME SPOILERS FOR GHOST TRICK AND ACE ATTORNEY AHEAD!**

**If you haven't finished Ghost Trick yet, don't read this. Really. Don't ruin it for yourself. The ending is awesome and I died a little inside after completing it, so you should too.**

**Anyway, onward to the story. It will jump from Yomiel's POV to Phoenix's every so often, but it won't disrupt the story at all. I really like writing Maya and Pearl, though. They're my favourite. **

**XxXxXxXx**

"_It's a beautiful day, isn't it, Yomiel? Why don't you take the afternoon off for once? Come back and spend the day with us! Besides, I think Sissel could use a break._"

The man in the bright red suit turned his gaze upward at the sky. Dark sunglasses provided a barrier between the warm rays of the sun and his light-coloured eyes, but he could easily see the light blue sky dotted with a few sparse clouds. He sighed before speaking into the phone he was currently carrying.

"Lynne, I can't. There's an important trial I have to attend."

"_At least let Sissel out during the darn thing!_"

In Yomiel's free hand, he held a light brown suitcase. Only if he looked closely could he see the holes punched into it, and the wide yellow-green eyes of the kitten inside. A loud, bored sounding meow sounded.

"I will. I doubt cats would be allowed into the courtroom anyway." Yomiel promised. "I'll get back to the station as soon as the trial's over."

"_What's this over, anyway?_" Lynne persisted.

"It's…really a gory case." Yomiel stood as a bus approached the stop he was sitting at. He dug out some change from a pocket and boarded. "A murder, actually. One of many."

"_Oh?_"

"…I was unable to avert them all." He lowered his voice to avoid any unwanted attention as he sat near the front of the bus. "The people that were murdered…they were all alive for half an hour before they finally bled out. I tried to save them…Sissel too. Even with our combined efforts…"

"_Oh…I'm sorry…_" Lynne said.

Yomiel shrugged, even though the woman on the other side of the line was unable to see him. "These murders are deliberate. No experienced killer would let their targets live this long."

"_You're sure they have the right guy?_"

"Positive." Yomiel said. "It's Tengo."

"…" Lynne didn't respond for a few seconds. "_Tengo? Oh man_…"

"I'm nearly there. I'll talk to you soon." Yomiel said.

"_Be careful._" Lynne ended the call from her end.

Yomiel sat for a few seconds in silence, watching the buildings of the city fly by. His few moments to himself were quickly intruded upon by another consciousness entering his own. Time slowed as the two began conversing.

_I can't go into the courtroom_?

_Afraid not, Sissel. You're going to have to stay outside_. Yomiel said. _You've done well on this case. Consider this a…vacation_.

_A really short vacation_. The cat said, his thoughts taking a rough edge to them.

_Be thankful you have the time to yourself_. Yomiel said, almost longingly._ I haven't had a moment's rest in weeks! Lynne's lucky with all the time she gets off between cases…Go back to your own head_.

Sissel's consciousness left Yomiel's mind, allowing the detective to his own thoughts. Despite the solid evidence proving the man they had apprehended was indeed the murderer, Yomiel couldn't help but feel anxious. What if there was something they had overlooked? What if Tengo wasn't the only killer that had recently sprung up in the city? Yomiel knew the man didn't work alone.

Sure, they had gathered up incredible evidence during the four minutes before the victims' death. But four minutes was not enough to save them…their ends were inevitable.

Yomiel tried not to think about that.

The bus stopped outside the courtroom, allowing him to exit to his destination. Yomiel was the only one who had exited the doors, and the bus sped off rather quickly as soon as he reached the curb.

"All right, go do what cats usually do." Yomiel undid the briefcase and allowed the kitten inside to jump out and stretch. Sissel gave him an annoyed glare before he ran into an alley, probably to find a quiet corner to curl up in.

Yomiel, on the other hand, glanced up at the ancient courtroom. The stone statues that once stood tall and detailed were weathered down, and the engraving above the large doors was faded. With a heavy sigh, he stepped through the doors, running a hand over his slicked blonde hair.

A quick walk down the hall later brought him to the court doors. A bailiff was standing guard, but allowed him access once he showed his badge. Yomiel entered into the courtroom, surprised by how occupied it was.

Barely any seats were left unfilled. A low hum of conversation hung over the crowd as they discussed the case. The judge was sitting patiently, looking ready to begin at any moment.

Yomiel quickly nudged his way up front, where he sat close enough to make out the colour of the prosecutor's eyes yet remained out of view. He didn't want to be in Tengo's line of sight. It wasn't thirty seconds later than the judge slammed the gavel down, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Thank you." He said solemnly. "Let the trial for Mr. Tengo begin. Is the prosecution ready?"

The prosecutor, a smartly dressed man in a maroon suit and a cravat took a bow. "Yes, your Honor."

"And the defense?"

"Yes, your Honor," echoed a man in a dark blue suit.

"I would like to call the accused to the stand." The prosecutor said.

"What? What for, Mr. Edgeworth?" the judge inquired.

"There is a fatal flaw in Mr. Wright's accusation." Edgeworth stated. "Yesterday, he brought up a valid point; Mr. Tengo's murder weapon was nowhere to be found. I have found a contradiction."

"_OBJECTION_!" the defense, Mr. Wright, declared. "If you had a contradiction, you would have addressed it yesterday!"

Already things were heating up in the courtroom. Yomiel maintained a stoic face, but his heart was hammering. If Mr. Wright won this trial, 'One Step Ahead' Tengo was free to go…

"Let the defendant take the stand." The Judge said.

From the back of the room, a blue skinned man was ushered from his seat to the front of the courtroom by two guards. He was wearing the orange prison jumpsuit, but he still wore the fedora he had been arrested in. His gaze was directed at the ground.

"Please state your name and occupation." The judge said.

"'One Step Ahead' Tengo. I'm an assassin. And as my name implies…"

Yomiel leaned forward as the man continued to speak.

"…I am always one step ahead."

"Witness, please tell the court what happened on the day of the murder at—" Edgeworth started, but he was cut off as Tengo continued to speak, raising his voice ever so slightly. He still never raised his gaze from the ground.

"Are you sure this courtroom is safe?"

Yomiel felt the suffocating feeling of dread drape itself across his shoulders.

Concerned whispers rose around the courtroom. The judge pounded the gavel against the stand. "Order, please! Order!"

"What do you mean?" Mr. Wright looked slightly alarmed.

"I mean exactly what I said." Tengo turned his gaze from the ground to face his defense. "Do you think it's safe?"

He was grinning madly. Yomiel knew what was about to happen, but there was nothing he could do within his power without giving his ghost tricks away.

A window shattered and s civilian in the back jerked forward as a bullet found home in his back. The woman next to him was screaming. There was another shot, followed by another shatter of glass. Someone else had a weapon _within_ the courtroom. People were screaming.

Yomiel didn't think. He leapt over seats and screaming people as he fought his way toward the defendant's stand. Tengo was already on the move, stooping to pick up something wrapped in fabric under a chair. Yomiel was glad to see that the judge had taken shelter behind his desk. Edgeworth and Wright had the same ideas.

"Hold it!" Yomiel pulled his small handgun that was holstered under his red jacket. "Freeze!"

Much to his amazement, Tengo stopped and slowly turned to face him. One hand was behind his back. "You really are stupid, aren't you? Did you not hear me? I said I was 'One Step Ahead' Tengo. I'm always one step ahead." He was grinning madly. "Hello, Yomiel."

With that, he drew a pistol from behind his back. Yomiel shot, but at the same time felt cold metal rip through his ribs and left lung. He had missed, and Tengo had hit.

Yomiel felt himself falling. His back struck the court floor hard, driving the air out of the new cavity in his chest. Blood bubbled in his throat, staining his red suit a deeper shade. Despite the mortal injury, he felt extremely calm…

"Mr. Wright!" a voice shouted somewhere nearby.

Yomiel felt himself being dragged back. The young lawyer from before, the defense attorney, was trying to get him to safety.

"Hold on, an ambulance is on the way!" he was saying. "Just stay calm, sir!"

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to stand down…" Yomiel coughed, blood bubbling from his mouth.

"Phoenix! Stop trying to be the hero!" the judge was shouting.

"What is your name?" Mr. Wright was asking. "Sir, what is your—"

He didn't get to finish as red exploded from his chest, darkening his suit to a purple. Yomiel felt his warm blood fleck his own face, and in that moment, he felt the young lawyer's soul condense into a core…

_That's enough of this…time to prevent this catastrophe_. Yomiel reached out toward the glowing blue core in the lawyer's chest.

In a flash, he was sent to the ghost world.

…

…

_Still unconscious_? Yomiel sighed. _Hurry, Wright. I don't have all day_.

Within a few seconds, the faintly glowing, ghost-like shape began to take the form of the young man lying dead on the courtroom's floor. He cast a confused look at Yomiel before saying, _What happened? That is me, right? On the floor_?

_Unfortunately, yes_. Yomiel sighed. _My name is Yomiel. Do you remember who you are_?

_I'm…Phoenix. Phoenix Wright. I died trying to save you, didn't I_?

_Yes. That was a foolish mistake, really. I wasn't going to die_. Yomiel gave a small grin. _It's a long story, but it's going to take a lot more than a bullet to kill me. Or, should I say, kill my spirit_.

The young lawyer looked immensely confused. Yomiel could hear the questions shooting through his mind, but there were so many at once he couldn't make them all out. At last, he said, _So…I'm dead. What does that mean_?

_That means I have a chance to save you._ Yomiel grinned.

_What? How? Who are you, really? Are you one of the Spirit Mediums_?

Yomiel didn't get a chance to speak before another core condensed next to him, a tiny one that eventually took the form of a small kitten with a red bandana.

_I'm sorry! I didn't hear the gunshots before it was too late! What happened_? Sissel demanded.

_What do you think?_ Yomiel cast a glance at Phoenix's face, amused by the shocked look the lawyer returned.

_Your…uh…your cat is talking_…

_Yeah, I am. What about it_? Sissel narrowed his eyes.

_Sissel and I are going to save your life, Mr. Wright. Your life, and everyone else's in this courtroom_. A shadowy figure of an enormous clock materialized in the ghost world, signaling the turning back of time. _Just stick with us and we'll return your spirit back to your body_.

_O…Ok_… Phoenix said.

**Courtroom, 4 minutes before death**.

_Is…is that me?!_ Phoenix gaped. _But… I thought you said I was dead_!

_You are. We just rewound time back before you died_. Sissel said.

_Now we have a chance to save you_. Yomiel took a glance around the courtroom. _If I remember correctly, there was someone with a weapon in here. There was also a sniper in an unknown location, somewhere outside as well_.

_I'll take care of the sniper. You keep Tengo from killing this guy._ Sissel began jumping from core to core, slowly but surely making his way to the door.

_(My name is Phoenix, thank you)_. Phoenix thought. Yomiel chuckled.

_So…what do we do_? Phoenix continued.

_Just stick with me_. Yomiel carried Phoenix's soul with him as he jumped from core to core, activating a folding umbrella along the way to reach a core further out of reach. Before long, the two of them were sitting in the judge's gavel, getting a different perspective of the courtroom.

_Tengo doesn't have the gun with him_. Yomiel frowned. _He must have retrieved it from somewhere…but where_?

_How can you tell_? Phoenix inquired.

_There's no core on him_. Yomiel quickly scanned the room, his gaze resting on a core wrapped in a transparent scarf under Tengo's chair. _I think that's where he gets it_.

Yomiel let time continue on. The judge slammed the gavel they were both occupying onto the stand, saying; "Thank you. Let the trial for Mr. Tengo begin. Is the prosecution ready?"

Edgeworth took the bow. "Yes, your Honor."

_All right, let's go_. Yomiel entered the ghost world again and dragged Phoenix toward their next destination, the judge's chair. From there, they could reach a decorative lamp, a doorknob, Tengo's chair, and finally, the gun's core.

_Right…now what_? Phoenix asked.

_I can switch the safety on_. Yomiel did just that, the tiny click inaudible outside of the scarf. _He was in such a hurry, I doubt he'll check the safety before shooting me_.

_I saw him shoot at some other people after he got you. So…are they safe now_? Phoenix asked.

_Most likely. They'll have more time to react and escape the courtroom_.

**Fate Changed**.

_Now for the other shooter_… Yomiel turned his gaze around the courtroom._ I want you to keep a lookout. If you see someone suspicious, tell me. That's our shooter_.

Time began to play normally again

**3 minutes before death**.

"_OBJECTION_!" the past, living Phoenix declared. "If you had a contradiction, you would have addressed it yesterday!"

_Am I really that twitchy_? Phoenix groaned.

_I've known you for less than half an hour and I can honestly say yes. You're also impulsive_. Yomiel squinted at the back of the courtroom, where a group of men were sitting. They all donned long trench coats and fedoras, which were angled in a way Yomiel could not see their faces. _Please, Mr. Wright. We are looking for a killer_.

_Oh. Right. Sorry_. Phoenix said sheepishly.

"Let the defendant take the stand." The judge was saying.

_I think I found our shooter_. Yomiel directed Phoenix's attention to the men in the back.

**2 minutes before death**.

_They certainly look suspicious_. The lawyer agreed.

_Then let's pay them a visit_. Yomiel entered back into the spirit world and guided Phoenix along the cores. It didn't take long, as most of the seating in the courtroom possessed some sort of core for the spirits to latch onto.

_Yes, this is most certainly a gun_. Yomiel decided as they drew close to it. _Now, the real question is how we're supposed to prevent this man going on a shooting spree_.

Time resumed as the two spirits lounged on the core of the gun. Yomiel was casting his gaze around the courtroom, trying to remember the events before death. _(The sniper shot through the window first…and that provoked our shooter here.)_ He thought._ (I was distracted by Tengo, unable to stop the shooter…I might not be able to succeed at preventing these peoples' fates this time—)_

_What?! They're going to die?! _Phoenix's alarm took Yomiel by surprise.

_I forgot you could hear me. Keep in mind that there are no secrets in the ghost world. And yes, there is a possibility I will be unable to succeed this time_. If he had a physical form, Yomiel would have frowned. Things weren't going as smoothly as he had planned.

**1 minute before death**.

"…I am always one step ahead." Tengo was saying.

"Witness, please tell the court what happened on the day of the murder at—" Edgeworth started, but he was cut off as Tengo continued to speak, raising his voice ever so slightly. He still never raised his gaze from the ground.

_We have to do something!_ Phoenix insisted.

_(Perhaps by Sissel taking care of the sniper, it will change the fate of our gunman here as well)_… Yomiel mused.

Just as he completed his thoughts, the window behind him and to his left shattered. No one was hit by the bullet, but it did strike one of the antique chandeliers hanging from the courtroom roof. The light fixture's bindings snapped, sending it spiraling town to the court floor. Yomiel watched as it smashed directly in front of the witness' stand, startling Phoenix's past self and causing Tengo to jump.

Screams were echoing around the courtroom, but the kill count still remained at zero. The gun Yomiel and Phoenix's spirits were still lingering on had been shifted, but no one was shooting yet. Yomiel watched as his past self made his way toward Tengo, who had finally gathered his bearings and approached the hidden handgun under the chair.

_Hey, it's working! (I think.)_ Phoenix said.

Past Yomiel drew his weapon, as did Tengo. Both made a move to shoot, but only Yomiel's reached its mark. Tengo dropped the weapon and clutched at his right shoulder.

**Fate changed**.

_We did it_! Phoenix said.

_Not yet_. Yomiel sighed as the gun was lifted, finally presenting itself to the panicked courtroom. Much to Yomiel's frustration, the weapon was aimed at his past self. _(At least Phoenix isn't running out into the open, trying to be the hero)_…His thoughts were cut off as the young lawyer ran out from behind the shelter of his desk and into the path of the rifle.

**Time until death: 3**

_Hey, I had to try and help you_! Phoenix protested. _I can't sit there and watch you die, and it looks like I'm just trying to help!_

**Time until death: 2**

_Fine, we'll argue about this later. Right now, we have to find a way to keep you from getting shot_…Yomiel quickly entered into the ghost world, trying to locate anything small with a strong core. His gaze settled onto a false detective's badge. It was slightly heavy and made of thick metal. It would have to do.

**Time until death: 1**

_What are you doing_? Phoenix asked as time returned to its normal speed. Yomiel was waiting, unresponsive.

**Time until death: 0**

Without warning, the badge shot upward into the rifle's path. With a loud bang, the bullet struck the badge, sending it ricocheting to the right and into the wall. The gunshot grabbed past Phoenix's attention, and he hurriedly grabbed past Yomiel's by turning and pointing toward the source of the sound.

**Fate averted**.

The gunman stashed the rifle in his trench coat and made for the exit, the other cloaked men doing the same. Amidst the chaos, they seemed unnaturally calm…

"Hold it!" A detective blocked their path. He had rather broad shoulders and looked to be in his thirties. His hair stuck up in spikes on the right side of his head and a small bandage adorned the left side of his chin. He drew a pistol from his belt and flashed a badge. "I'm detective Dick Gumshoe, and I'm afraid you didn't get the memo of no weapons allowed in the courtroom besides us detectives!"

_Gumshoe_… Phoenix sighed. _This guy's always dragged into the worst sort of trouble_…

Even as they watched, more detectives had flanked him, each one of them eyeing the suspicious group of men warily. Past Yomiel joined them as well.

_I think our work here is done_. Yomiel said. _Time to get back to the present time, in this new future_.

_Right_! Phoenix said.

A swirling mass of red and black enveloped them as they were whisked forward through time. Yomiel came to his senses with a rush. If his finger had been over the trigger of his handgun, he would have shot.

"Come with us." The detective named Gumshoe was saying.

Yomiel motioned to the man he had foiled in his attempt to assassinate Phoenix, saying; "You there, drop that weapon. Now."

To his surprise, the man did as he was told. The weapon clattered to the ground, where whispers of shock ran through the detectives.

"I can take it from here, pal. Thanks for your help." Gumshoe slapped Yomiel on the back, the sudden gesture nearly making the skinnier detective tumble over.

"Um, right." Yomiel holstered his weapon and turned to survey the courtroom. He had certainly caused a lot of damage, that was for sure, but at least no one had been killed. A few people had been hit with fragments of broken glass, but paramedics on the scene were already treating them.

Something was rubbing against his ankles and meowing impatiently. Looking down, his masked eyes met the wide, green-yellow ones of Sissel.

"Good job," Yomiel picked up the black kitten. "We sure made a mess, but it was worth it."

He lifted his gaze to the courtroom again, where he locked eyes with Phoenix, who was staring at him with a combination of horror, confusion and questioning. Yomiel simply nodded before turning and walking out of the courtroom, stowing Sissel safely in the briefcase as he went.

**XxXxXxXx**

"You just can't take a break, can you?" the red-headed detective sighed.

"It seems that way." Yomiel sat down heavily on the couch.

"…" Lynne opened her mouth to say something, but to Yomiel's great relief, didn't. She instead pulled at a strand of hair. "Who was it this time?" she asked as Sissel jumped into her lap.

"A lawyer. I was shot, and he jumped out to try to drag me to safety." Yomiel loosened his tie. "Sure, it always looks bad when I sustain a mortal injury, but I can't…you know, die."

"How long do you reckon you would have taken to heal?" Lynne asked.

"An hour, I think."

Yomiel leaned back into the couch's cushions, sighing heavily. It was all thanks to that day ten years ago…he could no longer die, nor age. Sissel too…

"So when are you taking that week off?" Lynne continued. A grin was growing on her lips.

"A week off? I can't do that…" Yomiel protested.

"Yes, you can. I know you can't die, but you'll work yourself to death only to come back and do it again. Take a break! Besides, Missile misses you. Kamila, too."

Yomiel sighed. "Fine, I'll take a week off. But only after tomorrow…I have some important matters to attend to..."

Lynne gave a high-pitched, "Yay!" in excitement. "Now it won't be so boring here! Ooh! We should go to the Chicken Kitchen! Yeah! That'd be great!"

"Isn't that what Kamila's here for during the day?"

The front door opened, followed by a few excited barks and a shout of, "Lynne! I'm here! Oh! Hi, Yomiel!"

"Hi, Kamila." Yomiel said as the young girl flounced into the room, grinning broadly. A fluffy Pomeranian dog ran along beside her, occasionally turning in a circle and yipping happily. He jumped up onto the couch and tried to lick his face.

"Hi there, Missile." Yomiel attempted to push the hyper dog off the couch, but it was in vain.

"We're going to the Chicken Kitchen tonight!" Lynne declared.

"Tonight? Who said anything about to—"

"Yaaaay!" Kamila cheered.

"Oh, fine." Yomiel laughed. Missile happily nestled himself up against his leg, a stupid grin plastered to his face. Sissel leaned up against the dog, batting at his fluffy ears.

"Mr. Yomiel, when are you and Miss Lynne getting married?" Kamila asked sweetly.

"What…?" Yomiel blinked.

"Ha, ha! You're funny, Kamila." Lynne chuckled. "But I'm not marrying him. No way."

The look of disappointment on the girl's face was enough to make Yomiel start laughing again.

**XxXxXxXx**

**I'm too lazy to add this to the story, but between cases, Lynne has a lot of free time. She and Kamila hang out with Missile all day and they are occasionally visited by Yomiel and Sissel. When Lynne does get called on a case, Kamila just stays at her apartment, usually watching TV or listening to music. As you know in Ghost Trick, Jowd is Kamila's father. He is also one of the higher ranking detectives in this, so he's constantly busy. Kamila usually doesn't see much of him, and she considers Lynne to be like a sister to her.**

**Basically Lynne is a full time babysitter for Kamila and Missile when she's not on duty. **

**I hope that makes sense. Anyway, more on the way!**

**Hasta la Vista, Readers! (**Oooh, maybe I should write some _Terminator _fanfics…?**)**

**Lordoftheghostking28**


	2. Turnabout Pals

**CHAPTER 2**

**XxXxXxXx**

**As you can probably tell, updates are going to be few and far between. I still haven't gotten over the worst of the writer's block and I'm really lacking in the motivation department. Anyway, more Ace Attorney characters are going to show up and the plot will move along nicely.**

…**I hope.**

**Oh, I forgot to mention that there will be a little ship sailing with Yomiel and Lynne on it...but it's a tiny ship...like a lifeboat...**

**XxXxXxXx**

"Are you ok, Nick? You look a little pale…"

"What? Oh, I'm fine, Maya."

Phoenix ran a hand through his slicked hair and glanced around the wreckage of the courtroom again. "It's just…everything happened so fast. I'm still trying to come to grips about it."

"Oh. I know something that can help!" Maya grinned, brushing one of her braids out of her face. "Burgers!"

"Maya, we had burgers for breakfast and lunch…"

"Burgers are perfect for every meal!" Maya insisted, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him toward the exit. Her strange jewelry clinked as she dragged him along.

"Don't you ever get tired of just burgers? Why not something different? Why not…Italian?" Phoenix protested.

"You're so boring, Nick!" Maya laughed. "You're an old fart!"

"I'm not old!" Phoenix protested.

Even as he was dragged onto the closest bus, Phoenix couldn't help but feel relieved to be out of the courtroom at last. Gumshoe and the other detectives (minus the strange man in red) had questioned everyone they could get their hands on for hours.

"Nick?"

"I'm fine." Phoenix pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm…just thinking about what happened. That chandelier…when it fell, I thought for sure I was done for."

And yet…there was something else. Something like a fading dream lingering in the back of his mind. Almost a feeling of déjà vu. It was like he was forgetting something about the court case, but he couldn't put his finger on it. All he knew was that strange detective in red had something to do with it.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Maya continued. "You're really spaced out. Are you sure you're not old?"

"Do you…have that feeling?" Phoenix asked. "I mean, do you ever get the feeling that you've been in a situation before, but it happens…well, differently?"

"Yeah, sometimes. But usually I'm half asleep or I'm really hungry." Maya nodded.

"I had one of those feelings today in court. I don't really know how I know this…but I think what happened today could have been a lot worse. I think…I think someone should have died."

"That's not very positive." Maya said.

"I know, but I can't shake this feeling…"

The bus stopped at a corner, letting them off. Maya lead the way to her favourite burger joint, where she promptly ordered three of the largest burgers for herself.

"I still don't understand how you eat that much." Phoenix muttered.

"Me neither." Maya giggled.

They claimed a small booth by the window. Maya happily went to work eating everything she ordered and Phoenix nibbled on a few fries, absentmindedly staring out the window. Not surprisingly, after a few minutes of sitting in silence, Maya declared around a mouthful of burger, "Hey, look! It's Gumshoe!"

"What the…?" Phoenix turned to face the door, where sure enough, the detective had spotted them and was on his way of approaching them. How does he manage to do that? Almost every time Phoenix and Maya go to any sort of fast-food place, he shows up.

"Hey, pals! Do you mind if I sit here?" he dropped into the seat next to Phoenix. "Some case today, wasn't it?"

"What happened to Tengo and the people with the guns?" Maya asked.

"They're all in custody. We also apprehended an unconscious sniper in an alleyway. Apparently he fell from the roof." Gumshoe gave a nervous chuckle. "We're still trying to figure out what all the fuss is about, though. According to everyone I've talked to, there's no reason for all this commotion! Sure, Tengo is a gun-for-hire, but most of his targets are loners without family, so why was there so much resistance today? You know what I mean?" Gumshoe continued on his ramble.

Phoenix began to tune him out as he somehow went from the topic at hand to how he was getting another salary reduction. Gumshoe was right…Tengo's trial should not have caused such an uproar.

"So what do you think, Nick?" Maya's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Huh? What?"

"Do you think Gumshoe can stay with us for a while? He can't afford his own place at with the budget he's on."

"What…?"

"Yeah, you can stay!" Maya decided. "We live right above the office, but there's not enough rooms for everyone, though. So you can sleep on the couch."

"Maya, we're barely able to afford the office and the apartment as it is!" Phoenix protested, but the other two paid him no attention. _Who made you in charge of the office anyway, Maya? The sign says _Wright_ and Co. Law Offices for a reason_…

"Anyway, back to the trial…I can't believe how many people showed up. Detectives from other districts, even. I've never seen so many in one place."

"One of them told me that this was a trial they were working on for a long time." Maya said. "Apparently they've been tracking Tengo for a long time now…like a year."

"Well, now they can rest easy." Gumshoe grinned. "Thanks to me!"

"Hey, Gumshoe, if you're going to stay with us, you have to do one thing…" Phoenix said.

"Yeah, pal?" the detective began to look a little worried.

"You have to satisfy Maya's burger cravings. Oh, and bring Pearl downtown this weekend. She wants to go to the zoo."

"…Sure, pal. No problem." Gumshoe's smile was now looking a little strained. He knew how much Maya could eat in one sitting.

**XxXxXxXx**

**Wright and Co. Law Offices, office apartment**

**10:30 PM**

"Thanks again for letting me stay here, pal." Gumshoe said.

"No problem." Phoenix rummaged through a closet and threw a spare pillow and blanket at him. "Just keep in mind that Maya sometimes sleepwalks."

Gumshoe nodded and threw his trench coat over the back of the worn couch. "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind."

"And don't eat my bacon!" Maya shouted from her room. "I'll put the Fey family curse on you!"

Phoenix rolled his eyes and walked to a door on the far side of the room. "Just don't touch anything in the fridge labeled 'Maya'."

"Got it." Gumshoe nodded again.

Phoenix shut the door to his room and sat down on his bed. He didn't plan on going to sleep so early, but the next thing he knew, he was dreaming.

_He was back in the courtroom, but instead of it being filled with onlookers, it was only him and Tengo. Phoenix was sitting in the judge's chair, Tengo standing at the defendant stand. _

"_You're not telling the truth, are you?" Phoenix accused the assassin._

"_What's it to you?" Tengo grinned. His aura darkened around him and ghostly chains crossed in front of his body, three locks securing themselves to the chains. _

_Phoenix smirked. Breaking Psyche-Locks had become something of a specialty. He held up the Magatama given to him by Maya, and the locks became a bit more solid._

"_You slipped up in your work, didn't you?" Phoenix stated. "That's how you were caught."_

_Much to his surprise, Tengo laughed. "Do you really think I was foolish enough to make a mistake like that? No, I planned this."_

_The chains in the Psyche-Lock rattled, multiplying themselves until there were now six. Six well-protected locks. Phoenix was at a loss of words. Never before had something like this happened._

"_You'll never know my secrets." Tengo laughed. "You'd sooner die."_

_In his head, Phoenix heard a voice silently whispering, "Phoenix…stop…any further and your soul will shatter…"_

Mia?!

_Phoenix turned, trying to pinpoint the voice. As he directed his gaze away from the assassin, he felt heavy, cold chains wrap themselves around his arms and legs, binding him in place. Locks appeared over the chains, preventing his escape. _

_As he stared wide-eyed at Tengo, the villain changed into the red-suited detective. He adjusted his sunglasses before repeating, "You'll never know my secrets."_

Phoenix's eyes shot open, seeing only darkness. Faint sounds could be heard outside his room, probably from Gumshoe's snoring.

The young lawyer sighed heavily and dragged a hand down his face. Where the heck had that dream come from? Sure, the trial for Tengo had been rescheduled, but he wasn't dreading it…

Phoenix directed his gaze at the dark roof, waiting for the first shreds of morning light to filter through the blinds.

**XxXxXxXx**

"So yooou're the cause of what happened in that courtroom yesterdaaay?" A sing-songy voice accused.

Yomiel nodded, sifting through a few files on his desk. "I prevented at least three deaths."

"Who did you talk toooo?" Detective Cabanela asked, flipping the ends of his red scarf out of his way as he typed up a report. The older detective was grinning, but Yomiel could detect the concern in his voice.

"The lawyer…Phoenix Wright." Yomiel said.

"And you didn't tell him anything, _riiight_?" Cabanela continued in the same lighthearted voice.

"No. I only explained the basics of my powers." Yomiel cast a glance at the door, as if worried someone might walk in.

"Even still, that can be too much." Cabanela's grin was still there, but his voice changed to a more serious tone.

"What matters is those people are safe," Yomiel turned back to his work. "I couldn't just sit there and watch them die."

Cabanela's smile began to fade, replaced with a neutral expression. He returned to the computer monitor and began typing.

Yomiel shuffled through a folder, one bearing evidence and newspaper clippings on Tengo's killings. He hoped that security in the courtrooms would be a bit stricter after what happened.

"So how's my baaaaby?" Cabanela declared, taking the other detective by surprise.

"Lynne? She's fine." Yomiel replied without turning around. "I promised her I'd take a week off, though. She wants me to spend time with everyone. Kamila, Missile, Sissel and …me."

"Uh huh," Cabanela turned around in his chair and crossed his arms, but Yomiel ignored his stare. "When are you going to ask her?"

"I'm sorry…?" Yomiel turned. "Ask her what?"

"You know what I mean!" Cabanela stood with a flourish and dropped to one knee, raising the lid of an imaginary jewelry case as he did so. "When are you going to ask her _the questioooon_?"

Yomiel frowned. "I'm not marrying her. And get up."

"Why not? You'd be perfect for my baby!" Cabanela's eyes lost their sparkle.

"I can't marry her." Yomiel threw the folder back on the desk, papers threatening to spill out.

"Why not?"

"Because…" Yomiel trailed off as the door to the office opened.

A rather heavyset man stepped foot in the doorway, one hand trying to flatten the curly mass of blonde hair on his head, the other clutching a thick bundle of papers. He glanced from Cabanela, who was still down on one knee, to Yomiel, who was slowly turning a shade of red to match his suit.

"…Am I interrupting something?"

"Noooo, come in, Jowd!" Cabanela stood with a laugh, giving graceful twirl as he stood. "I was simply prompting our good friend here to ask my baby _the question_!"

"He's finally going to ask her?" Jowd grinned, twirling the end of his thick beard. "It's been, what, four years? It's about time!"

"I'm not going to marry her!" Yomiel nearly shouted. Papers and lightweight items were dispelled into the air by a seemingly unknown force, where they drifted to the floor in a disorganized array. Both Jowd and Cabanela looked shocked at his outburst.

"I _can't_ marry her…" Yomiel continued, in a softer tone. He cast his gaze at the ground. "What if something happens? I'm not completely safe…"

Jowd quickly stepped into the office and shut the door, keeping any and all conversation within the room. "Yomiel…"

"I don't want to hurt her any more than I already have." The phantom detective said.

"I'm sorry we pressured you into this." Jowd cast a glare at Cabanela, who nodded.

"It's fine." Yomiel stooped to begin gathering up the papers that had strewn across the room.

The three of them worked on gathering up the scattered files in silence. Only once the final paper had found its home in a folder then did he speak.

"I'll see you next week." Yomiel said to Cabanela.

The older detective nodded. "Same to you!"

**XxXxXxXx**

_Everyone really thinks you should be a couple. _Sissel said.

_I know. _Yomiel sighed.

_Kamila already considers you like a sort of step-dad since Jowd is always busy_. Sissel continued. _She really looks up to you and Lynne like a second set of parents_.

_Lynne always told me Kamila is sort of a younger sister to her_. Yomiel said.

_In a way, she is_.

Yomiel let his mind run blank. The last thing he wanted Sissel to do was pry into his thoughts.

_You love her, don't you_? The cat accused. _You love her, but you're scared_.

_I don't, and I'm not_. Yomiel could feel anger clouding his judgment again.

_You think I don't notice? I'm not just a mindless housecat! Missile thinks the same about you two_.

_I don't love her_! Yomiel forcefully tore Sissel's consciousness away from his own, breaking their connection in the ghost world.

He was back at Lynne's apartment, waiting for her, Kamila and Missile to return from the park. The late evening sun was angled in a way that shadows were portrayed as long and menacing across the room. Yomiel was sitting on the couch, Sissel casting him a concerned look from the floor.

"I don't love her." The detective repeated. "She's my friend…nothing more."

The cat only blinked before turning and walking away.

Yomiel sighed and leaned back into the couch. When was Lynne getting back? Jowd would be here to pick up Kamila soon…

**XxXxXxXx**

"Mr. Nick! Hurry!" the young girl giggled, pointing up into a large tree. "Mystic Maya's hiding up there! We have to get her!"

Phoenix turned his attention up into the large tree where indeed, Maya was sitting among the branches. Her purple channeling robes didn't do a good job of blending her into the greens of the leaves.

"Alright, Pearls!" the lawyer bent down and picked up a rock. "I'll knock her out!"

"Nooo!" the girl cried. "That's mean!"

Maya was laughing, but it was more relieved laughter that Phoenix was not going to throw stones at her head. "I'm getting down before I fall out!"

"There you are…!" Gumshoe wheezed, finally catching up with the group. "This mountain air…is so thin…!"

"Nah, you're just slow, gramps." Maya chuckled.

"I am…not old enough…to be anyone's grandpa…" Gumshoe protested.

Pearl laughed, nearly doubling over. "You're funny, Mr. Gumshoe!"

"Thanks, pal…"

"I'm hungry." Maya declared as she reached the ground. "What do you say we break for some lunch?"

"Maya, we just ate not fifteen minutes ago!" Pearl protested. "And you ate most of everything!"

"Oh, that's right." Maya thought. "Well, we can have tea."

"I'll pass." Phoenix sighed. "Why did you convince me to come here, anyway?"

"Because you like it here and it's away from the office." Pearl stated matter-of-factly.

"Spot on," Gumshoe grinned. "That's why I like it here, too."

Phoenix was distracted from the group by a ringing sound originating from his pocket. He pulled his cell phone out, saying, "Excuse me for a second…"

"Ok!" Pearl said.

Phoenix turned away from the group and answered the call. "Hello?"

"_Wright_?" asked a voice on the other end.

"Edgeworth…?" Phoenix was glad the prosecutor couldn't see the look of surprise on his face. "Why are you calling me?"

"_You need to come back to the courtroom. There's…someone here to see you._" Edgeworth hesitated slightly. "_It's important._"

"Who is it?" Phoenix inquired.

"_They won't tell me. They requested—I should say demanded—to speak to you at once._"

"I'm on my way. I'm at Kurain Village, so I should arrive within two hours." Phoenix said.

"_Hurry._"

Phoenix ended the call and turned to his comrades. "Sorry to end the fun like this, but we have to go back."

"Already? But Maya just ate!" Pearl protested.

"Not back to the village…back to the courthouse." Phoenix motioned in the general direction of the train station. "We have to get the next departure."

"Why?" Maya asked, suddenly serious.

"I'll explain later." Phoenix promised. "But we have to hurry!"

The only problem was: what _was_ there to explain? Edgeworth had been awfully vague. Just who was waiting for them back at the courtroom?

**XxXxXxXx**

"Ah, Mr. Wright."

Phoenix turned from where he had been about to open the courtroom door. Standing halfway down the hall was a woman in a formal black suit.

"Yes?" Phoenix asked. Beside him, Maya and Gumshoe exchanged confused looks.

"I'm detective Krása." The woman drew closer. She had blonde hair arranged in an almost impossible style of overlapping loops on the left side of her head. She wore heavy mascara, and her bright red lips stood out against her pale, almost blue, skin. She was holding some sort of cane, which added mostly to the effect of her costume. "Please, come with me."

Maya and Gumshoe made a move to follow them, but Krása shook her head, her spiral of hair threatening to undo itself. "Please stay here. It is only between my client and Mr. Wright. We will only be but a moment."

"I'll be right back." Phoenix promised.

He and Krása headed down the hall, coming to one of the numerous doors lining the courthouse's hallways.

"Mr. Wright…please, do come in." a voice sounded from inside.

Phoenix entered into a lavishly furnished office. A polished desk was set up against the far wall, a large leather chair turned to face the door. A man was sitting in the chair. He was short and older with a rather large nose, but his skin tone matched Krása's almost exactly. He was wearing what Phoenix guessed to be some sort of general's uniform, with large golden shoulder cuffs set on either arm. His grey eyebrows were large and bushy. Much to Phoenix's amusement, they reminded him of angry caterpillars.

"A day ago, you held the trial for Mr. Tengo, correct?" the man asked.

"Uh, yes." Phoenix said. "Who are you, exactly?"

"I am Sith." The man said. "But my name is not important. What is important is what you witnessed that day in court."

"What do you mean?" Phoenix felt out of his element. Usually he was the one asking the questions.

"Did anything…unusual happen that day?" Sith prompted.

"I…I guess. I mean, the chandelier fell and gunmen were apprehended."

"Mr. Wright, I possess a very strong sixth sense." Krása spoke up. "I am never wrong about what I sense. On that day in the courtroom, I was witnessing the trial. I sensed something strong."

"Like…like ghosts?" Phoenix blinked.

"I believe so."

"Mia?" Phoenix blurted out before he could stop himself.

"I do not know who this Mia person is, but she is not our target. Unless, of course, she can use her powers of the dead to change the past." Sith suddenly looked very solemn.

"What? What do you mean?"

"Mr. Wright, you are a smart man." Krása trailed her finger across his chin, drawing his face upward to hers. Her breath smelled like cherries. "Please, tell us what you saw."

"I…uh…" the lawyer stuttered.

The room began to change around him, yet Krása remained the same. An endless red and black swirling background overtook the fancy office. Krása backed away from him, yet her eyes still bore into his own.

_What….what's going on…_?! Phoenix was beginning to panic.

_Welcome to the ghost world, Mr. Wright. I take it you have seen it before_.

She was right. He had seen it before, but he couldn't pinpoint it…

No…wait…

_In the courtroom! There…there was…_!

He had died, that much he was sure of. Phoenix could remember the bullet piercing his heart and lung…how his vision had faded and he fell backward into nothingness…

_Yes, you died in that trial_. Krása said. _You died, but someone brought you back. Can you recall who that someone was_?

_There…there was a detective_… Phoenix said. _He was wearing red…he had blond hair that looked sort of like a lightning bolt…and sunglasses! He had sunglasses_!

Krása nodded._ Do you know who this man is_?

Phoenix hesitated, trying to recall the detective's name._ I…I don't remember…No, wait…Yomiel! His name is Yomiel_!

Krása nodded. _Thank you, Mr. Wright. That is all I need from you. I'll let Commander Sith explain the rest_. Phoenix thought he detected a hint of worry in her voice, but it was too late to press her on anything. The black and red background was trading places with the furnished office.

"Mr. Wright has indeed spotted Yomiel." Krása reported. "He altered the courthouse catastrophe. Originally, Mr. Wright was doomed to die."

"I see." Sith said, folding his hands on the desk. "Mr. Wright, will you do me a favor?"

"Yes…?" Phoenix blinked.

"If you ever see this Yomiel character again, please turn this device on and follow him." Sith handed him a small receiver with a small switch on the back. "Once on, it will send signals to my end and we will be able to find the both of you."

"Sure…" Phoenix stashed the receiver in a pocket.

"I must warn you," Sith continued, "do not attempt to approach him. He is very dangerous."

"Right…I have a question for you, actually."

"Anything." Sith promised. "You've already helped us so much."

"Why are you after this man? What has he done?"

Sith hesitated. "He…is more powerful than you can imagine. He must be brought down for what he has done."

As Phoenix watched, transparent chains bound themselves around Sith's form as four locks appeared. There was definitely something Sith wasn't telling him…something the Psyche-Locks were intent on keeping hidden.

"What has he done?" Phoenix pressed.

Sith shook his head. "I'm afraid that's classified. But, do your task, and I shall explain everything."

Krása motioned to the door. "You're free to go, Mr. Wright. I'm glad we could finally meet."

Phoenix stumbled into the hall, where he was met by Maya and Gumshoe.

"You ok, pal?"

"I'm fine…" Phoenix realized he was shaking. "Come on, let's go get burgers."

**XxXxXxXx**

**I really hope you all have played and hopefully completed Ghost Trick. There's a lot of stuff from that game being tied in at the moment. **

**Anyway, reviews are greatly appreciated. They give me motivation. **

**Hasta la Vista, Readers.**

**Lordoftheghostking28**


	3. Turnabout Crash

**XxXxXxXx**

**CHAPTER 3**

**XxXxXxXx**

It was nearly dark by the time the three of them returned to the apartment above the law office. Phoenix had explained to both Maya and Gumshoe to keep a lookout for the red-suited detective, and they more or less agreed.

"So…you didn't even get a chance to ask this Sith guy about what it was he did?" Maya asked.

"Yeah. He did promise me answers once Yomiel was turned over to him." Phoenix shrugged and sat down on the couch. "What I don't understand…"

"What is it, pal?" Gumshoe sat next to him.

"The lady that met us in the hall… Krása. She had these ghost powers too. And both her skin tone and Sith's… it was _blue_. Like Tengo's."

"Asphyxiation?" Gumshoe suggested.

"I highly doubt it." Phoenix sighed.

Maya flopped onto the couch on the other side of him. "Maybe they were dead, and that's how Krása could use the ghost power!"

"Then what about Yomiel? He looked completely normal."

"One of the many things you can ask when we complete this mission." Gumshoe said.

"Yeah. Now turn the TV on, Nick! The _Steel Samurai_ is on!" Maya exclaimed.

The three of them sat there on the couch, watching the show together. Phoenix more or less zoned out, more concerned with his own thoughts than what was happening on the show. A lot of what Sith said didn't make sense. Sure, whoever possessed these ghost tricks did indeed seem extremely powerful…but then why had Yomiel saved him? Why had he saved his life?

**XxXxXxXx**

"Yomiel…Yomiel! Wake up!"

Yomiel sat up with a start. "Lynne…!? I wasn't sleeping."

"Oh, that's right. You were _meditating_." The redheaded detective grinned. "The dead don't _sleep_. They _meditate_."

"Did Kamila go home?"

"Jowd stopped by half an hour. Both her and Missile went home." Lynne walked off into the kitchen. "Where's Sissel?"

Yomiel glanced to the end of the couch, where a motionless pile of black fur and a red bandana was curled. "In here."

"No, I mean, where's his spirit? He left his shell." Lynne said.

"I don't know…" Yomiel nudged the currently lifeless body of the cat. "He never said he was going anywhere."

Lynne shrugged and pulled a giant plate of chicken from the fridge. "Man, I'm starving!" she walked into the main room and sat next to Yomiel, careful not to displace Sissel's body.

"…You're going to eat all of that?" Yomiel asked.

"You've seen me eat more than this before. Stop acting so surprised," Lynne muttered around a mouthful of food. "Or are you just jealous that along with sleeping, the dead don't eat as well?"

"We don't _need_ to eat." Yomiel shrugged. "We also don't age, so I think the tradeoff's fair."

Lynne threw a half-eaten drumstick at him. "I envy you! I want to be twenty-three forever!"

Yomiel grinned. "But don't you want to grow older and more experienced?"

"Shut up, I hate you." Lynne growled.

Sissel's motionless body shuddered as his spirit returned. The kitten lifted his head and yawned, casting his gaze longingly on the plate of food Lynne was wolfing down.

"Sorry, kitty-cat." The detective said. "Mine."

Sissel rolled his eyes. Yomiel felt the kitten's consciousness combine with his own as they entered the ghost world.

_What_? Yomiel asked. _And where were you_?

_I was following Jowd, Kamila and Missile home. _Sissel said._ I felt…uneasy letting them go on their own. I felt like something bad was going to happen_.

_What kind of bad thing_? Yomiel asked, but one look at the kitten's hard expression was enough to think the worst. _Oh. That kind_.

_Ever since that courtroom incident…_Sissel shook his head. _I think we made a mistake in revealing ourselves_.

_We prevented unnecessary deaths_. Yomiel protested.

_I think it was planned_. Sissel began to back out of the ghost world. _I think someone found us again_.

The ghost world faded away to be replaced with Lynne's apartment. Sissel cast Yomiel another look before stalking off somewhere deeper in the apartment.

For a few minutes, the only sound that could be heard in the apartment was the silverware clinking against Lynne's plate.

"You do know that Tengo is one of Sith's men." Yomiel finally spoke.

"Yeah?" Lynne nodded.

"Sith was put in charge to bring me back."

"So you think the court case was set up?"

"Most likely."

Much to his surprise, Lynne put the food down and faced him. "Then why did you go to the trial?"

"I had to make sure that it really was Tengo." Yomiel said.

The redheaded detective sighed. "Tengo's the only Azul I've seen for a long time. Believe me, I would know if there were more of those guys hanging around."

"Sith never does the work himself." Yomiel said. "I'd be even more suspicious if I spotted him just walking down the street."

"Yomiel, you're safe. We've been though all sorts of crap together…and you'll never have better friends than Jowd and Cabanela. They'll go to the ends of the earth to keep your secret safe. And I'd do the same. For both you and Sissel." Lynne promised. "Don't make yourself more paranoid than you need to be."

Yomiel turned his gaze to the ground. "Thank you."

Lynne grinned. "Great. Now, are you going back to your place tonight, or are you staying here, you bum?"

"I'd like to stay, if that's ok with you."

"All right!" Lynne cheered. "Sissel! Come here, you! I need a cute animal to pet!"

Yomiel laughed.

**XxXxXxXx**

It was sometime during the night that Yomiel was disrupted in his meditation. It was still pitch-dark outside, and he was pretty sure that Lynne wasn't up for a late-night snack.

The phantom detective didn't move from where he was lying on the couch, trying to pinpoint the sound. It was almost like…scratching? From outside the door…!

Yomiel's vision sharpened as he entered the ghost world. His spirit jumped from his shell to the couch, from there to Lynne's red headphones above the fish tank. He reached the door knob and transferred himself outside.

On the other side of the door was a hunched over figure. Yomiel couldn't make out his face, but he could see the core of the credit card he was trying to use to open the lock.

"Why do I always have to do the dirty work? Why doesn't anyone else have to do this stuff?" he was whispering under his breath.

Yomiel jumped to the credit card, trying to make out more of what the amateur burglar was saying.

"Then again, if I succeed, maybe Beauty will finally realize she was wrong to boss me around…" the man giggled. "Oh, I mean _Krása_. Beautiful, fair _Krása_…"

Beauty? Yomiel knew that name…she was one of the Azuls sent to bring him back to Sith. So this could only be one person…

Without much of a thought Yomiel jumped from the credit card to the man's body, manipulating his arm to drop the card.

"What…?!" The man began, but Yomiel shut his mouth and forced his legs to move, taking him to the stairs. With not much of a thought, he made him misstep, sending him tumbling down the stairs. Yomiel jumped from his body to the railing, using it to jump to a picture frame and back to Lynne's door, where he re-entered the apartment and settled back into his shell.

He sat in silence, waiting for the man to return. He never did.

Yomiel sat in silence for the rest of the night, wary for future attackers. Sith knew he was here. That man mentioning Beauty confirmed it. They had found him again.

**XxXxXxXx**

"You gotta believe me! There's something weird going on!"

"Sure, pal. And I can fly." Gumshoe sighed. "Look, we have cases that need to be wrapped up and we need to deploy a search and rescue for a kid that wondered off in a park. Now, if you'll excuse me…" Gumshoe stood from where he was sitting and exited the room.

The short, hunched man that was sitting opposite him looked appalled, not to mention beat up. His His once formal and neat suit was ripped, torn and scuffed, his blonde hair was a mess, and his hat had a large rip in it. A rose that was once in his lapel was sheared off, leaving only the stem. "Sir, please!"

"Take it to the agency three towns over. They're all over that kind of spirit stuff." Gumshoe shouted back.

Phoenix, having nearly run into Gumshoe as he rounded a corner, cast a glance at the man sitting in the questioning room. "What's he doing here?"

"I don't know, pal. I was sent in to question him. Said he was thrown from a third-story staircase by something." Gumshoe sighed. "Don't go talking to him. He's crazy, pal. You'll only be wasting your time."

"He looks like Sith and Tengo…" Phoenix said. "His skin…it's blue."

"Yeah, but I doubt this guy works for him." Gumshoe said, "he's too scatterbrained. He claimed a ghost threw him down the stairs."

"Really." Phoenix furrowed his brow. "I want to speak to him."

"You're really just wasting your time, pal." Gumshoe sighed. "But have it your way." With that, he walked off.

Phoenix entered the room, but the man was too busy having pity on himself to notice. The lawyer cleared his throat, drawing the man's attention to him.

"What's your name?" Phoenix asked.

"Oh…I'm Zvíře. Are you here to laugh at me, too? Don't worry, I'm used to it by now."

Phoenix sat across from him. "Zvíře?"

"It's Czech, I think."

"So, Zvíře, what are you doing here?"

"Well, last night I was on…a mission. Yeah, a mission. I was supposed to bring my…my friend a present for her birthday…but something threw me down the stairs! Suddenly, I had no control over myself! It was a ghost, I tell you! A ghost!" Zvíře shivered and cast a glance around the room.

"Who was this friend?" Phoenix questioned.

"Uh…her name?" Zvíře began wringing his hands. "…Krása."

"Krása?" Phoenix blinked.

"Yeah. Did you know her name means Beauty?"

"No, I did not…" Phoenix thought. Something about Zvíře was off…he was definitely making something up.

Phoenix leaned in across the table and lowered his voice. "Zvíře…if you know Krása, do you know who Sith is?"

Zvíře's eyes widened. He reached a shaking hand up to his head and removed his hat. His messy flop of blonde hair seemed to become more frazzled as he twisted the hat between his fingers. "W-why?"

As Phoenix watched, chains surrounded the man's small frame, nearly blocking him from sight. Seven Psyche-Locks appeared.

Phoenix sighed, drawing out Maya's Magatama from his pocket. "All right, Zvíře, I'm going to have to ask you to tell me the truth…"

"What is that?" Zvíře's eyes widened. "Is that…?!" He pointed with a shaking hand toward the Magatama.

"It's a Magatama." Phoenix said.

"No…! It's…it's got…" Zvíře stuttered.

"It's got what?" Phoenix prompted.

"It's got Temsik powers!"

The two of them sat in silence for a few moments. Phoenix placed the Magatama in his pocket, saying; "What is Temsik?"

"No…no, I can't tell you…" Zvíře pulled at his hair, forgetting about the hat he was mutilating. "Sith forbade me…"

"I do know Sith." Phoenix insisted. He pulled out the transceiver given to him. "He gave this to me himself."

Zvíře stared at it as all but one of the Psyche-Locks disabled. "Then…then you know…about the man in red?"

"I do." Phoenix nodded, slightly in shock from how easily Zvíře dropped his guard. "His name's Yomiel. Sith said he's dangerous."

"Did…did he tell you about what he did?" Zvíře's last Lock vanished.

"No." Phoenix shook his head. "Sith never got the time to."

"Well…this man, Yomiel…he's dangerous. I'll tell you why; I think you should know. After all, Sith did give you that." Zvíře motioned to the transceiver. "He thinks you're important to tracking him down, so that means you've gone into the ghost world with him, right? You…died?"

Phoenix nodded. "I did."

"Then…did you find out anything about him? There are no secrets in the ghost world." Zvíře looked hopeful.

"No…his mind was blank." Phoenix said.

"That's a shame." Zvíře cast his gaze on the ground. "Well, Sith wants him because of these ghost tricks. He's by far the most powerful user of them."

"But why?" Phoenix pressed.

Zvíře fidgeted nervously. "Well, Yomiel is a spy."

"For who?"

"Well, he _was_ a spy," Zvíře corrected himself, "for us, I mean. But something happened and he betrayed us. Sith's been after him for years."

"What was he spying for?" Phoenix asked.

"…" Zvíře clammed up. Much to Phoenix's dismay, four Psyche-Locks circled his form. "I can't tell you. But I can tell you that I wasn't on my way to Krása's place last night. I found a lead on Yomiel and tracked him to an apartment complex. I was trying to break in and apprehend him."

"By yourself?" Phoenix asked.

Zvíře nodded, looking slightly embarrassed. "I realized it was a mistake when he threw me down the stairs."

"With his ghost tricks?"

Zvíře nodded. "I'm sure that's what he did. He can manipulate people. You can see why Sith wants him back, right?"

Phoenix nodded. "How exactly did Yomiel betray you?"

"What is your name?" Zvíře suddenly asked. "I told you mine, so it's only fair you tell me yours."

"I'm Phoenix Wright." The lawyer said. "Can you answer my question?"

Zvíře shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Sith is better suited to answer you."

Phoenix nodded slowly. "Breaking and entering is a crime." He said slowly.

"Not when you have probable cause." Zvíře dug a wallet from his pocket and flashed a detective badge. "I'm an undercover agent for the time being…at the district a few towns over. I am allowed in my search for Yomiel when I'm not on duty."

"Have you gotten any leads yet?" Phoenix asked.

"Not many. Yomiel is careful to cover his tracks." Zvíře sighed. "Just please, Mr. Phoenix Wright…alert us if you find him. He needs to be…neutralized."

**XxXxXxXx**

"What?" Lynne nearly yelled. "Yomiel, it's too early for this! What do you mean?!"

"Last night…one of Sith's men showed up." Yomiel grabbed his briefcase, Sissel meowing inside. "They know I'm here."

"You're not going anywhere! What if they're right outside?"

"They'll be back tonight, I'm sure of it." Yomiel motioned to the door. "We have until nightfall to get as far away from here as possible…!"

"Are you sure this really happened? It wasn't some sort of weird meditation dream or anything?" Lynne protested.

"I'm certain. The man mentioned Beauty." Yomiel reached for the doorknob. "You can be sure they'll send people over here…people that will show no mercy for anyone in this apartment. We have to warn Jowd and Kamila…Cabanela, too…"

"Yomiel." Lynne grabbed his sleeve. "Calm down."

"How can I calm down?!" Yomiel shouted. "These people…they're dangerous! I can't let you nor anyone else become their victim! I've already lost too much to them and I don't want to lose anyone else!"

Sissel gave a soft meow from the carrier. Lynne looked shocked, her dark eyes wide from the detective's outburst. "Yomiel…"

"Lynne, go with Jowd and Kamila tonight. You should be safe with them. I'll leave Sissel with you."

Yomiel handed the briefcase toward Lynne. "I'll be back for him tomorrow…he'll keep you safe."

"Yomiel." Lynne said more forcefully. "Won't they be able to track him to us the same way they do for you?"

"They don't know Sissel has ghost tricks." Yomiel said. "They won't suspect him. You'll have the element of surprise with you…it's the most powerful weapon I can give."

Lynne took the briefcase from his hand and set it softly on the floor before flinging her arms around Yomiel's shoulders, drawing him into a crushing hug. "I'm not letting you go alone."

"What…?"

"I'm coming with you, dummy."

"No…!"

"I'm going with you, and there's no way you can change that!" Lynne growled. "So help me, I will handcuff your wrist to mine!"

Yomiel cast the redheaded detective a long look. His eyes were hidden behind his glasses, but he assumed he got his message across. Lynne wore a mask of determination, glaring back at him. There really was no changing her mind.

"Fine…"

"I knew you'd see reason." Lynne grinned, the angry look on her face suddenly gone. "I'll call Cabanela…he'll be able to talk to Jowd and Kamila."

"Hurry," Yomiel said.

**XxXxXxXx**

"Where are we going?" Lynne asked, slinging a small duffel bag over her shoulder.

"Somewhere out of town for now." Yomiel said. "I don't know if we can return here anytime soon…"

In his briefcase, Sissel meowed impatiently.

"I know, I know..." Yomiel muttered. "But as far as I know, Sith doesn't know about you. You'll be safer here."

Lynne hailed a taxi and they quickly climbed in, Yomiel giving directions to Cabanela's office.

They drove out of the city in silence. Sissel escaped the bag and curled next to Yomiel, who was gazing intensely out the window.

_So you're just going to run off_? The black cat asked. The world around Yomiel turned red and black.

_No, I have a plan_. The detective said.

_I would love to hear it_. Sissel said.

… Yomiel knew Sissel could hear his thoughts, but he couldn't help but think wildly for an idea. As far as he had planned, he and Lynne would escape the major cities and relocate for a short amount of time. As suspicions began to go away about his whereabouts, they would return and continue with their lives.

_That won't work, you know_. Sissel said. _They keep searching the same places over and over and over…you won't ever be able to return…at least to the city_.

Yomiel spat out a few angry words before regaining his composure. _I just want to keep everyone safe…! Is that too much to ask_?

_Have you ever_… Sissel trailed off, but Yomiel could tell what he was thinking.

_I can't turn myself in_.

_But your spirit could relocate to a different shell_.

_Not a live one. And I'm not taking someone else's body. Sissel, please just let me think in peace. _Yomiel severed the connection to the ghost world as he found himself staring at the cars passing by.

They arrived at Cabanela's office without incident. Yomiel stowed Sissel safely in his carrier and he and Lynne walked into the old police building.

"Whyyyy, hello!" a cheery voice greeted them from the main desk. "I was expecting you." Despite his tone of voice, Cabanela's brow was furrowed and his eyes weren't shining as bright as they usually did.

Yomiel handed him Sissel's case. "Take care of him."

"Of couuuurse! Kamila will be thrilled! The more animals, the better!" What was left of Cabanela's forced grin was now gone. "You two be safe, you hear me? I want you both back in one piece!"

Lynne nodded. "Take care."

"You too," the inspector returned the gesture.

**XxXxXxXx**

"Nick? You're a little spaced out again."

"I'm fine, Maya." Phoenix said.

"You don't look fine. Gumshoe said you were questioning a crazy guy earlier…does that have to do with anything?"

"Maybe." Phoenix sighed.

"Oh. Well, know I'll always be here to help you, no matter how crazy you may be!" Maya grinned.

"Mr. Nick! Mr. Nick!" Pearl tugged on Phoenix's sleeve. "Are we going to the zoo now?"

"Yeah." Phoenix nodded. "Let's go!"

The three of them headed out of the office, Pearl jumping up and down with happiness. Maya was busy explaining how her little cousin had never been to a zoo before, but Phoenix toned most of her rambling out. The conversation with Zvíře earlier was still fresh in his mind; he had run an ID check on him in the database, but no one with the name Zvíře had shown up in any district…maybe he'd have to pay Tengo a visit at the detention center a bit later. After all, his trial was rescheduled.

"Mr. Nick!" Pearl was whispering loudly. "What if the tigers get out of their cages? Will you save me?"

"Uh…yeah, of course." Phoenix said. "But I doubt they'll escape."

"Oh. Ok." Pearl looked relieved.

The three of them piled into the back of a taxi for the long ride to their destination. Maya estimated it was about an hour trip, but Pearl was ready to brave it. Under ordinary circumstances, Phoenix would have chimed in on their small talk chatter, but too many questions clouded his mind.

"I hope there are bunnies!" Pearl grinned. "I like bunnies! They're so soft and cute!"

"Yeah! Their ears are cute, too!" Maya added.

"I wish I had bunny ears!"

Phoenix sighed and directed his gaze out the windshield. A line of cars were moving steadily down the highway, all at a fast pace. He was estimating how much each vehicle would have cost when one of the cars, a yellow taxi much like theirs, swerved. It harshly curved to the left, leaving a thin trail of smoke, then right, startling drivers in the other lane. The taxi eventually lost all control and turned a full 90 degrees to the left, the tires skidding and catching on the asphalt. Even through the closed windows of their taxi, Phoenix could hear metal crunching and glass breaking. An axel broke, sending the car flipping. Another car slammed into the back of the flipped taxi, taking a door off and sending some sort of bag flying out into the traffic.

Pearl was screaming, Maya was hugging her close and trying to shield her vision from the wreckage. The other cars in the lanes began to slow to a stop. Phoenix wrestled with the door of the taxi, finally opening it and stepping out. He ran toward the wreckage, yelling; "Stay there!" at Maya and Pearl.

The taxi was smoking, but no fire was visible yet. Phoenix approached the taxi, which had finally come to a rest on its roof, and knelt down next to the driver's door.

The taxi driver was definitely beyond saving. A large gash in his neck confirmed that. Glass shards were imbedded in his face and his entire left side had been mutilated by the crunched metal. Phoenix turned to the back doors of the taxi, shouting, "Is anyone in there? Are you ok?" He couldn't make out anything through the shattered glass that was still somehow intact in the frame.

There was no answer. Phoenix inhaled, mentally preparing himself before he swung his fist into the glass, giving it the blow it needed to finally shatter. The glass tumbled onto the roof of the flipped taxi, revealing the passengers inside.

All Phoenix could see was red. It took him a minute to realize it was not blood, but a man in a bright red suit. His blonde hair was streaked with burns and blood and one lens of his sunglasses were shattered.

Phoenix hesitated. This man…was this man Yomiel?

Slowly, painfully, his limp form began to move. With a gasping grunt, Yomiel's limp form was moved away from the crushed window to reveal a woman in a trench coat. Unlike Yomiel, who bore devastating injuries, she looked to only be sporting a few gashes on her face.

"Are you all right?" Phoenix demanded, reaching a hand out to her. "Hurry! I'll pull you out!"

The woman cast a glance at the driver's seat, and with a dry sob, gently shook Yomiel's shoulders. "Wake up!"

"Please, miss!" Phoenix grabbed her arm and began guiding her out of the mutilated taxi cab.

The woman grudgingly obliged, crawling out of the smashed window. Glass ripped at her coat, but she barely noticed it. She escaped the confining wreckage of the vehicle only to turn back to it and grab ahold of the red suited man's arm.

"Miss, you have to leave him! He's dead!" Phoenix protested. The burning smell of the taxi was getting stronger. A cloud of dark smoke was beginning to rise from the engine.

"No, he isn't!" The woman screamed, swinging her arm in his direction and landing a hard blow to Phoenix's temple. The lawyer stumbled back, a bit dazed. The woman continued to pull the motionless man from the cab, succeeding in dragging him partly out of the wreckage.

Much to Phoenix's surprise, he blinked in the bright sunlight, unused to the sudden blinding light. He opened his mouth to speak, blood instead pouring from it.

"Yomiel, don't move…" the woman gripped his hand. "I'm getting you out, ok? Just stay still…"

In the distance, Phoenix could hear a siren. He cleared his throat, saying, "No, leave him…the paramedics are on their way."

"You don't understand!" the woman spat. "Just help me get him out! His leg's caught!"

She hurried to free Yomiel's leg, delving back into the wreckage as she did. The first few wisps of flame could be seen from the engine of the taxi. Phoenix reached into his pocket, where his fingers brushed up against the transceiver given to him by Sith. _Should I activate it…._?

"You! Please! Help!" the woman screamed again.

Phoenix was wrenched from his thoughts. He dropped down beside her, trying his best to pry apart two pieces of metal that were clamped down hard on Yomiel's left leg. With their combined efforts, they were able to free him.

"Lynne…" Yomiel coughed. The blood that had been flowing from his mouth had stopped. And, was it Phoenix's imagination, or had some of the cuts along his face vanished…?

"Don't move." Lynne growled. She turned to Phoenix, saying, "Thank you…"

"We…go back…save the driver…" Yomiel attempted to sit up. "And…avoid this…"

"Why didn't you do that earlier?!" Lynne hissed.

The sirens were getting closer.

"I'm going back…" Yomiel said.

Around him, Phoenix watched the world turn red and black. He knew this place…the ghost world. Yomiel had somehow dragged him into it. Beside him, he could see Lynne's outline, but a glowing orange ball in her head was the only solid thing he could see. Without thinking, Phoenix reached out to Yomiel, latching onto the core in his mind as he connected to the one in the dead driver's…

**4 minutes before death**

_What are you doing?! How did you even do that_?!

_I'm following you, obviously_. Phoenix said. _I just saved you from an accident, and you look to already be healing! I want to know why_.

_But…you jumped from your own core to mine…_!Yomiel sighed heavily. _Never mind. Forget it_. Phoenix tried to see into his thoughts, but his mind was blank. _Stick close to me._

_Where's Lynne_? Phoenix asked as Yomiel jumped from core to core in the taxi. _I mean, her spirit_.

_She was not dead, so I couldn't bring her with us. You, on the other hand…_. He trailed off. _…Now, before the taxi flipped, there was a flash of light that looked like it came from up front…nearby the driver. He lost control and everything spiraled from there. _

_It was smoking, too_. Phoenix said. _I thought something happened to the engine_.

_Either way, I'm going to avoid this_. Yomiel jumped to the steering wheel, dragging Phoenix with him. _I'm going to take control of the driver just as he loses control…Hopefully I can set his path straight again and save his life_.

_Take control of him_? Phoenix inquired.

Yomiel set time moving forward again. His mind was still blank, and Phoenix struggled to keep his own thoughts at bay.

**3 minutes before death**

_Don't bother. I already know what you're thinking_.

_Huh_?! Phoenix asked.

_I know you think I'm some sort of villain_. Yomiel was watching his past self and Lynne. The redheaded detective was laughing, but it seemed a little too joyous. Yomiel himself had just the beginning of a grin on his lips. _I'm not_.

_I just think that someone who can willingly possess anyone they choose has the potential of a villain_. Phoenix said.

_I agree. I've thought of it a lot, actually. It would be so easy to manipulate everyone to my will…then maybe they would be safe_. Yomiel sighed. Phoenix managed to get a glimpse into his mind to see he was thinking about Lynne and a few other people, one of them being a young girl about Pearl's age.

_What are they in danger of_? Phoenix asked.

Yomiel hesitated. _…Me_.

**2 minutes before death**

_Why_?

_Because of my ghost tricks_.

Phoenix grew silent. Thanks to the ghost world, no secrets were safe. If he could just get Yomiel thinking, then his true nature would be revealed. Maybe Sith was wrong about him—

_What did you just say?!_ Yomiel shouted.

_I…I didn't say anything…_! Phoenix stuttered.

_Sith…you mentioned Sith_! Phoenix could feel Yomiel getting angry. His thoughts were unorganized and chaotic. _What about him? How do you know his name_?!

Phoenix's thoughts were not safe. He found himself thinking about when he had met Sith and Krása. Now that he thought about it, Sith never did give him any information on Yomiel…

_You _met_ him_?! Yomiel continued.

_Yeah_. Phoenix blurted. _I did…He told me to follow you if I ever saw you again_…

**I minute before death**

_Listen, under no circumstances are you to activate that transceiver he gave you. If you do, I will be forced to get rid of you_. Yomiel sounded incredibly angry now._ Lynne is innocent. If he sends men after me, she will get harmed. I don't want that. If you get her hurt in any way, I will personally hunt you down and end your existence once and for all_.

Phoenix was shocked at the detective's outburst. Up until now, he was fairly certain that he had simply misunderstood him. _Uh…all right_…

_I don't want to see you following me. I don't want to even hear your name_. Yomiel continued. _Am I clear_?

**Time until death: 3**

_Y…yes. Clear as day_.

_If I so much as hear your name spoken_…Yomiel continued.

**Time until death: 2**

_All right! I'll make sure you never see me again! Now, what about the driver_?

_Phoenix_. Yomiel's voice was suddenly more dangerous. _If you ever see Sith again, kill him_.

**Time until death: 1**

_Yomiel, what about the driver_?! Phoenix shouted. _He's going to lose control_!

What looked to be the beginning wisps of smoke were making their way through the ventilation system in the taxi cab. Without warning, the smoke ignited with a high-pitched note.

The driver swerved, one hand on the wheel, one hand on his ear. In the backseat, Lynne screamed. Yomiel's past self held her close, angling himself to protect as much of Lynne's body as he could

**Time until death: 0**

The taxi flipped, Yomiel still keeping a grip on Lynne. The inside of the taxi seemed to fold in onto itself like a paper bag. Metal and glass speared Yomiel's body, but Lynne was spared the worst of the injuries.

_We…we let him die_. Phoenix said in shock. _The driver died again_…

_I can go back as many times as I want and work to change his fate_. Yomiel said stiffly. _Now, get out of the ghost world. Don't come back_.

Phoenix felt his consciousness being pushed away until he saw only blackness. Just when he was beginning to panic, sight came back to him in a blinding swirl of colours.

"Nick?"

Phoenix blinked. He was back in the taxi with Pearl and Maya, who were both giving him a concerned look. He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm fine. What were we talking about?"

"Bunnies," Pearl said.

"Oh. Right. Bunnies." Phoenix nodded. His gaze turned to the window, where a similar taxicab not too far off was traveling. "Sorry, guys, but there is a slight change of plans."

"Huh?" Maya asked.

"Driver!" Phoenix raised his voice. "Follow that cab! Don't let it out of your sight!"

** XxXxXxXx**

** This story is fun to write!**

** Anyway, please leave your thoughts, concerns, improvement ideas, and all that stuff in a review! I really like reviews, if you haven't noticed.**

** Ghost tricks to all who review!**

** Hasta la Vista, Readers!**

** Lordoftheghostking28**


	4. Turnabout Investigations

**XxXxXxXx**

**CHAPTER 4**

**XxXxXxXx**

"What?" Lynne blinked.

"The driver…something happened in the engine." Yomiel said, lowering his voice. "Something…unnatural. Some sort of gas ignited itself, and he swerved to his death. I was able to go back and stop the gas from combusting."

"Was it planted there?"

"Yes. Someone was trying to kill us."

"But who?"

"Take a good guess."

Lynne fell silent. The taxi driver pulled off to a curb and unlocked the doors. "Here you are."

"Thank you." Yomiel handed him what money he had. "Keep the change."

The taxi driver happily pulled away to find more business elsewhere while the two detectives quickly ducked down an alleyway.

"So, where to now?" Lynne asked.

"If we can, we should find a small town." Yomiel said. "A small town with just enough people to not be noticed as newcomers. We should remain inconspicuous for a while."

"Right. And what small town were you thinking of?"

Yomiel hesitated. "One close by."

"You need to think things through before we just throw ourselves into crazy trips." Lynne sighed.

"Sith and his men are not going to give us enough warning. What, do you expect them to shoot you a text saying, 'We'll be ambushing you in 15 minutes'? We're lucky to escape the city with only one major brush with death!" Yomiel bit at his thumb's fingernail.

"I'm sorry." Lynne said. "I was just…trying to lighten the mood. Come on, let's get out of this alley."

The two of them headed down the alley, emerging from the shadow of the two buildings at a bustling intersection. They quickly got lost in the crowds and wound up outside of a run-down motel.

"Well, this looks nice." Lynne said with a hint of sarcasm.

"It'll do for now." Yomiel said.

After getting the key to their room from an old woman at the receptionists' desk, the two of them climbed a flight of stairs to their new home for the next couple of days. Yomiel opened the door with a loud squeak.

"Ew." Lynne grimaced. "Look, there's a cockroach."

**XxXxXxXx**

"Mr. Nick! What are you doing? This isn't the zoo!" Pearl hurried to catch up. "Slow down!"

"Stay close, Pearly!" Maya said, taking ahold of her hand.

"But I thought we were going to the zoo!"

"We will, just after Nick is done doing…whatever he's doing." Maya pushed her way through the crowd. "Wait up!"

"Did you see him?" Phoenix demanded. "The man in red? Where did he go?"

"I think he went down that alley." Pearl pointed. "There was a lady with him…she had red hair."

Phoenix wasted no time in running toward the alley she had indicated. Maya and Pearl were nearly flattened by oncoming traffic in their haste to keep up with him. "Phoenix! Slow down! Why is this so important?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Phoenix stopped at the alley's exit, waiting for them to catch up. "Where did they go…?"

He quickly scanned the street, trying to pick out any bright shades of red. A few things caught his eye, but there was still no sign of Yomiel. "Where did—?"

"Mr. Nick!" Pearl pointed. "Over there! The man just walked into that place!"

Phoenix followed her gaze to a run down motel, just in time to catch a glimpse of red fabric as the door swung shut. "Right…stay here. I'll be back soon."

"What? Why? Is this guy dangerous?" Maya asked, standing in front of Phoenix's path. "You don't have a weapon! What if he pulls a gun on you? Let me go too!"

"And get yourself killed?" Phoenix brushed past her. "No way. Stay here with Pearls."

"Why is this so important?" Maya pressed.

"That court case a few days ago…you remember, with Tengo?" Phoenix nodded. "This has something to do with that. Something important."

"He was there in the courtroom! He was a detective! He even stopped the people with the gun! Remember, with Gumshoe?" Maya said. "Are you saying he's responsible for all of this?"

"In a way." Phoenix said.

"Then call for backup!"

Phoenix ignored her last comment and set his sights on the motel. He reached the door without any objection from Maya or Pearl. He approached the lady at the front desk, flashing his attorney badge at her as he did so. He didn't let her have a good look at it before stowing it away again. "I'm…with the police." Phoenix started.

"Oh?" The old lady said.

"Did a man in a red suit come this way?"

"Yes…he just checked in." the lady chuckled slightly. "Are you telling me I let a criminal in my humble motel?"

"Possibly." Phoenix said. "What room is he in?"

"D-6." The woman gave a small smile. "Don't ruin my reputation here."

"I doubt that'll be a problem." Phoenix muttered, spotting a cockroach scuttling along the floor as he headed for the stairs. A small tug at his sleeve made him stop.

"Mr. Nick, I'm coming too." Pearl insisted. Maya was standing behind her, wearing the same focused expression.

"Stay here." Phoenix continued up the stairs, coming to the hallway at the top. A row of doors stretched along the hall, odd numbered doors on one side, evens on the other.

They turned a corner, still nowhere near the room they were seeking. Maya and Pearl stayed a few paces behind Phoenix.

"Go back. This is the last time I'm warning you…" Phoenix growled, turning another corner and running directly into a woman wearing a trench coat. She fell backward, a look of surprise on her face. She was caught before she would have struck the floor by a man in a red suit.

Phoenix blinked. Yomiel's eyes remained stoic behind his dark glasses. The detective helped Lynne back to her feet and stood defensively in front of her.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone." Yomiel hissed. His face twisted into a mask of anger.

Phoenix felt Pearl clinging to the back of his suit. "I just want to ask you a few questions."

"I warned you." Yomiel continued. He reached into his jacket and drew out a small pistol. He directed it at Phoenix's head, his hands shaking. "I warned you, and you still came after me!"

"Mr. Nick, I'm scared." Pearl whispered.

"Yomiel, put the gun down." Lynne said.

"Get out." Yomiel spat. "Get out, right now! _Now_!" His hands and arms were shaking terribly. Phoenix feared he would pull the trigger on accident.

"I did not activate the transceiver." He said calmly. "No one knows where you are. It's just us."

"They will still know!" Yomiel shouted. "They always do! Always! Get out!"

He fired. Phoenix felt the bullet pass his arm, but he wasn't hit. The bullet struck the wall at the opposite end of the hallway. Pearl was screaming. Phoenix pulled Maya away from the center of the hall and held a hand in front of Yomiel's weapon, placing himself between the gun and his companions. The opening of the gun was pressed against Phoenix's hand.

"I will not miss next time." Yomiel promised. His shaking hands said otherwise.

"Yomiel, put the gun down!" Lynne shouted. She made a mad grasp for it, but failed. "Stop it! You're mad!"

"It's not madness if I am protecting you!" Yomiel shouted back. As Phoenix watched, transparent Psyche-Locks began to crisscross his form. So many of them appeared that his entire body was encased in them. He was completely locked away in a fortress of mystery.

"What are you staring at?" Yomiel demanded.

Phoenix shook his head. Despite how terrified he felt, he kept his cool. "Nothing. Yomiel, put the gun down…"

"Mr. Nick…" Pearl clutched the side of Phoenix's suit. "He…he has an aura…Like the Magatama…but a lot more powerful…"

"What?" Yomiel's look of anger was replaced with worry. "What have you told her?!"

"Nothing. I—"

"_You told her about me!_" Yomiel lunged forward, wrapping his hand around Pearl's arm. The girl screamed, punching at her captor, but he was much too strong. Phoenix made a lunge for her, but stopped as the pistol was aimed at his head again.

"_PEARL_!" Maya shouted. "Let her go!"

"Yomiel…!" Lynne looked shocked.

The detective held Pearl's arm in a vice-like grip as he slowly circled Phoenix. He had a chance to escape down the stairs now. Lynne followed him, almost in a daze. Pearl was trying her best to free herself from her captor, but it was no use. Yomiel was too focused on keeping Phoenix at gunpoint.

"If you won't leave, then I will." The detective growled. "Consider yourselves lucky. Usually, my foes never live past their first encounter with me."

He forced Pearl back at them, making sure the girl reached her caretaker before turning and running down the stairs, Lynne right behind him.

"Mr. Nick!" Pearl sobbed. Phoenix stooped down and hugged her close, Maya beside him.

"It's all right, Pearls…"

"Mr. Nick…that man…he's scared…he's scared for that lady with him…"

Phoenix frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I can sense his aura." Pearl wiped tears from her eyes. "He was more scared than…than I was. Maybe…maybe you were wrong to chase after him…"

"I'm glad you're ok, Pearly." Maya hugged her cousin tight.

"Pearls, what do you mean by he had an aura?" Phoenix put his hands on her shoulders. "This is important."

"Well…" she sniffed. "He had a really strong aura. Like the one the Magatama gives off, but stronger. A lot stronger. And it was blue instead of green. And it showed he was scared, so I was scared."

Maya frowned. "Why is this important, Phoenix? He nearly kidnapped her, and all you care about is if he had an aura?"

"Pearls, is there someone in your village that knows a lot about the Magatama?" Phoenix inquired.

"Yeah…my mom does…and…and Maya does."

"The Magatama?" Maya blinked. "Well, mine was carved out of that big rock near the village entrance. I was born in that house there…They say that every Fey that is born there gets the power of the giant Magatama rock, and that's why we're such strong Spirit Mediums…"

"Is there a possibility he simply had another Magatama with him?" Phoenix asked.

"No, only the Spirit Mediums have those."

"He's not a Spirit Medium either." Pearl piped up. "Only the women in Kurain Village are."

Phoenix frowned. "I have something to tell you. It's involving that Yomiel guy. He has something called ghost tricks…"

**XxXxXxXx**

"I can't believe you did that."

"I had no other choice." Yomiel said flatly.

The two of them were sitting on a bench wedged between two overgrown bushes. They were out of sight as long as no one stood directly in front of them, providing them with a fair amount of cover.

"You could have hurt her!" Lynne nearly shouted. "Is that what you wanted?!"

"I would not harm her." Yomiel kept his gaze directed at the ground.

"I still…I can't believe…I…" Lynne's fists were clenched tightly. Her teeth were grit and her face was only a shade away from matching her hair. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, restraining herself from saying anything else.

"I'm sorry." Yomiel turned his gaze from his shoes to her. "I didn't know what else to do."

Lynne didn't say anything.

Yomiel sighed, cradling his face in his hands. They should be moving…getting away from this town. The lawyer knew where they were, therefore they were not safe. They couldn't waste time by sitting here…

"I know you're trying to protect me." Lynne finally said.

"I can't let anything happen to you." Yomiel blurted. "I'd never forgive myself if you got hurt."

"Why?" Lynne asked. "Sooner or later, I'm going to die. I can't prevent that, and you, even with all your tricks, can't either. You can't ignore the fact that I am going to die—"

"Why are you saying this?" Yomiel shouted, sitting upright.

"Because you're risking yourself for me." Lynne said. "You will live forever, as long as you have the source of your powers. I don't have that ability."

"…Lynne, what?!"

"If I draw the attention away from you, then you might have a chance to remain undiscovered for a very, very long time." Lynne avoided his eyes. "They all know who I am now; the lawyer, Sith…even his henchmen. They know if they find me, they find you. If I don't stick around you, their trail goes cold."

"They won't stop at that!" Yomiel protested. He shifted position on the bench so he was facing Lynne directly. "They'll hold you hostage! They'll kill you once they realize you can't help them in their search for me!"

The detective sighed. "I don't plan on getting caught, Yomiel."

Yomiel lifted her chin, directing her gaze to his face. Lynne refused to look at him.

"We're already on this crazy escape mission. It's too late to back out now."

Lynne's eyes flitted to his before they settled on something just over his shoulder.

Yomiel couldn't take his eyes off hers. They looked so familiar to him…familiar and sad. He sighed and sat back.

"Back before the…incident, I had a fiancé."

Lynne blinked. The sadness on her face was replaced with surprise. "You? Really?"

Yomiel nodded. "She was the most beautiful woman I had ever known. Beautiful, sweet and kind."

He could almost picture her now. "She was a detective, working on homicide cases. She had long black hair and bright green eyes that matched her dress suit. We were together for four years before I managed to work up the courage to ask her to marry me."

Lynne gave a small grin, but Yomiel could tell she expected the worst. "Really? Good for you."

"It was about a week later," he continued, "I was undercover for a case…and arrested. Cabanela was the one who interrogated me. I was scared and fled the police station…I had to get home to her…"

Lynne's eyes were wide. "I…I know what happens."

"You know what happens to me." Yomiel said. "But what happened to Sissel is a different story."

"Sissel?"

"That was her name. Cecile "Sissel" Connors."

"What happened?"

"I managed to get home." Yomiel said. "But I knew the police were after me. I had to find her…tell her I loved her…before I was sentenced to rot in prison. I couldn't find her anywhere, until…"

He hesitated. The image was still so real in his mind. "I found her on the bed. She had a gun in her hand and blood on her face. The police said it had been a suicide...There was a note…'_I'm coming for you, Yomiel'_."

Lynne was silent for a long time. When she finally spoke again, tinges of pink and orange lined the sky, signaling sunset.

"You want to protect me because you couldn't protect her."

Yomiel gave the slightest of nods. "Yes."

**XxXxXxXx**

"Ghost tricks, huh."

Maya chewed a bite of hamburger thoughtfully. "Ghost tricks…and an aura like the Magatama…"

"Almost exactly like it." Pearl said. "Except it's blue."

"And a lot more powerful." Phoenix thought.

"Maybe he's a mutant." Maya continued. "Or an alien!"

"Not so loud…" Phoenix muttered. "We're still in public. I'm sorry we never made it to the zoo, Pearls."

"It's ok, Mr. Nick." Pearl said. "I had fun anyway. Except when it was scary."

Phoenix drew out the transceiver given to him by Sith and set it in the middle of the table. "I barely know anything about Yomiel, and I know even less about Sith. But right now, I can't trust either of them."

"So if you see the detective in red you're not going to press the button?" Pearl asked.

"No. Not yet, anyway."

"What if Sith is really the bad guy?" Maya asked. "And Yomiel is really good? Or…or what if Yomiel is a secret spy mastermind and Sith is a misunderstood genius trying to stop him?"

"Stop it, Maya. You're thinking too hard." Phoenix sighed.

"But what I don't understand is why Yomiel saved you in the courtroom!" Maya continued. "He could have easily just left you there…but he didn't!"

"That's also my biggest question. And…I know he's not the only one with ghost tricks."

"That other lady you told us about…Krása. Right, Mr. Nick?" Pearl said.

"Right. How do you get these tricks?" Phoenix thought out loud.

"Maybe Gumshoe would know." Maya suggested.

"No…I don't think we should drag anyone else into this." Phoenix said. "We don't want to make matters worse."

Maya finished her burger and made a move to steal Pearl's. "Maybe we can look into some files a bit later. It's kind of late right now."

"Hey!" Pearl squealed, snatching her burger back. "Mine!"

**XxXxXxXx**

"Hey…uh…can you do me a favour?"

"_Wright, it's midnight. Most people are asleep at this hour," _came the tired and rather annoyed voice of Miles Edgeworth.

"Sorry, but it's kind of important." Phoenix said. "What do you know about that man in the red suit?"

"_He's a detective working at another district. He was on Tengo's case, and that's why he attended the trial_._ Why_?"

"Can you run a check on him? Is he in the computers?"

"_Do it yourself._" Miles growled.

"I'm asking you. You're still at the prosecutor's office." Phoenix answered smugly. "If you weren't, you wouldn't be answering the phone sitting on your desk."

"…_Fine. What's his name?_"

"Yomiel. That's all I know." Phoenix said.

A few seconds of silence passed. All Phoenix could hear was the clicking of the keyboard keys as Miles typed the name into the system.

"…_Wright…according to the databanks, this man doesn't exist. Not in the city, not in the police force…not anywhere…_"

"That's what I thought." Phoenix muttered. "Well, thanks!"

"_Hold on, just what are you doing—_?"

Phoenix didn't answer and instead ended the call.

**XxXxXxXx**

…**And the tiny ship with Lynne and Yomiel takes off on its grand voyage over the waterfall! Seriously, I kind of ship them. Just a little. And because I really suck at romance of any kind, it'll probably turn out to be a really strong friendship or something as the story goes on.**

**Anyway, I have the next few chapters done and stuff, but I need to do some serious editing before it goes up on this site. Also I'm recovering from getting all 4 of my wisdom teeth pulled and the doctor has me on about 23 different medications and they make my brain all fuzzy. So once I get everything sorted out, updates will be pretty regular.**

**Remember to review!**

**Hasta la Vista, Readers!**

**Lordoftheghostking28 **


	5. Important Announcement

**As of 9/10/2014, I have run into a problem.**

**I realized, on my 3rd playthrough of Ghost Trick, that I wrote a lot of things that shouldn't be happening into this story. I really don't have the time nor the motivation to go through and edit every chapter and alter the complete story. I am faced with two options:**

**1) I can delete this story forever.**

**2) I can try and finish it and tie up any loose ends/give explination to why things are the way they are.**

**Please, if you have any interest in this story, tell me. Otherwise, I may have to delete it.**

**Hasta la Vista, Readers.**

**Lordoftheghostking28**


	6. Turnabout Memories

**CHAPTER 5**

**XxXxXxXx**

**I cannot express the amount of thanks I have for all of you. I was about ready to pitch this story…and then suddenly, BAM. Apparently you guys really like this story…I'm glad. And I will do my best to complete it for you.**

**Thank you so much.**

**XxXxXxXx**

"_Sissel?"_

_Yomiel glanced into the living room, finding no trace of his fiancé. The dark brown couch was empty of all except decorative pillows and the TV was off. He headed deeper into the ranch-style house. "Sissel?!"_

_Panic was beginning to rise in his chest. It felt like he was being strangled. "Sissel, we have to leave! They know!"_

_He turned the corner to their room and stopped cold. Ice seemed to run through his veins as he spotted the lovely form laid out eagle-spread on the bed, blood highlighting her head like a halo…_

"SISSEL_!"_

_Yomiel dropped beside his lover's side, grasping at her hand. She was cold and lifeless, her skin having a dull grey tinge to it. _

"_No…_NO_!"_

_He was too late. She was dead._

_Yomiel screamed, drawing Sissel into his arms and hugging her tight enough to force the last of the air in her lungs out. It too was as freezing as her body. _

"_Sissel…no…no…not you…no…!" he whispered, stroking her bloodstained hair. His fingers became as red as his suit. "Please…no…"_

_His eyes fell upon the gun that was still clutched in her hand. Without thinking, he pried it out of her fingers and shoved it into his mouth. _

_With a bang, the gun went off, taking the back of Yomiel's head with it. He felt the pain. It was like lightning. Then why was he still alive?!_

_He reached around the back of his head, ready to feel a gaping wound. He felt nothing but his slicked up hair. No fatal wound._

"_No…" in a panic he pointed the gun between his eyes and shot again._ There. That should do it. That should kill anyone…I felt the pain…why am I still alive_?_

"_Sissel, hang on. I'm coming to join you." Yomiel promised. The very thing he feared was happening. Sith was right about the fragment imbedded in his body. It was preventing his death. _

_There was only one thing to do. Yomiel stumbled in a daze to the kitchen, where he pulled out the largest and strongest knife he could find. Remove the shard, and Sissel will welcome him with open arms. He took a deep breath before plunging the blade into his chest. _

_Something snapped, but it wasn't the shard. Yomiel only succeeded in pulling half the knife out of his body, the rest of it still imbedded in his breastbone. His skin was bubbling around the sharp metal, regenerating and actually driving the rest of the blade out of him. It clattered to the floor completely clean, not a speck of blood tarnishing it. Only a minimal amount of the crimson fluid remained on his chest._

_He stabbed at himself with the rest of the blade again, not caring if he succeeded in removing the shard. It was the pain he wanted to feel. He drew the blade out of himself and stabbed again. And again. Blood began to flow in a ceaseless river, pooling on the floor. His suit was reduced to scraps of fabric that littered the floor like crimson leaves. Sirens were beginning to be heard outside. _

_Sissel…_

_I'm sorry…I'm sorry they found you…I'm sorry I was careless…I'm sorry for everything…_

…

Yomiel gasped and sat up, staring around at the darkness that surrounded him. For a moment, he thought he was back at Lynne's apartment, but the smell of the rotting wood in the old hotel told him otherwise. In a separate bed across the room, Lynne was snoring softly.

Yomiel sighed heavily and leaned his head against the wall. If the events that happened ten years ago didn't happen, where would he be? Certainly not running and hiding like he was now.

Lynne's snoring stopped to be replaced by a sneeze. _Maybe among the rotting planks of wood in the foundation, there's mold as well_, Yomiel mused.

"I hate this place." Lynne muttered. "I'm going to get pneumonia."

"I think that's the least of your problems." Yomiel said.

"Ha." Lynne yawned. "You're funny. What if our superior plan of running away is foiled by me coughing and sneezing?"

"We'll worry about that if the situation presents itself." Yomiel said.

"How long have you not been meditating?"

"Just until a few moments ago." Yomiel said. That…_flashback_…seemed more of a dream than a meditation induced memory.

"Well, since we're both up, how about we find food?"

"Lynne, it's three in the morning." Yomiel couldn't help but chuckle.

"My stomach can't wait for breakfast. That's like four hours away. And that's a really long time when you're hungry."

Yomiel sighed. "There's granola bars in the pack. Don't eat them all."

Lynne dragged herself out of bed and toward the small bag they managed to save from the hotel before they were ambushed by the lawyer. She grabbed a few bars and headed back for her bed, sitting on the edge of it while eating.

For a few moments, the only sounds were of the crinkling wrappers and Lynne's loud chewing.

"Don't you ever eat with your mouth closed?" Yomiel asked.

"Be quiet, you're just jealous you can't eat." Lynne said around a mouthful.

"I don't_ have to_ eat. That doesn't mean I can't."

"Well, then eat sometime. Food is good."

"I would, except you always eat everything before I get a chance at it."

"I do not!"

"Oh, right. You save me the chicken bones whenever you finish your food at the Chicken Kitchen. Bones are simply _delicious_."

Something rectangle and surprisingly hard hit Yomiel in the head. He assumed it was a granola bar, but it could have very easily been the remote to the ancient TV sitting atop a three-legged desk at the far end of the room.

"I saved you that chicken wing once." Lynne said. "But did you eat it? _Nooo_, you fed it to Missile!"

"He looked like he wanted it more than I did." Yomiel said. "And that was about a year ago."

Yomiel braced himself for another object hitting him in the face, this one being much softer. He threw the pillow back at her and said, "You haven't given me any food from your stock in over a year. If I was mortal, I'd be dead. Does Kamila have to steal everything she eats because you don't share with her, too?"

"Be quiet, I do too feed her!"

"No wonder Missile wanted my chicken wing so badly."

Lynne sighed. "Whatever. Believe what you want."

They sat in silence for a few moments as Lynne finished her past-midnight snack.

"So…This question has been bugging me for some time now," Lynne hesitated. "What if Sith does succeed in getting the shard from you? What happens then?"

"I'd be dead." Yomiel said. "The only reason I'm not aging is because of the shard. If it's removed, I'll die."

"And what happens to Sith?"

"He's got a shard that can grant immortality. I wonder what he'll do with it."

"How do you know him?" Lynne continued. Her voice had taken a slightly suspicious hint to it. "I mean, you must know each other from somewhere, right?"

"I…" Yomiel trailed off.

"You're dragging me off on this grand adventure, aren't you? I have no idea what's going on. Enlighten me. We're not leaving this hotel until you do."

"Fine." Yomiel said. "But what's said here will never leave this room. You can't tell anyone, including Sissel, Cabanela, Kamila, and Jowd."

"Alright, I can do that. I know when to keep my mouth shut." Lynne said.

_Really? With all the talking you do, I'm surprised every secret you've ever been told hasn't been exposed yet_, Yomiel thought.

"…Good," he said instead. "Just promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

"Promise me you won't arrest me."

**XxXxXxXx**

It had been a rather tiring and stressful day. Cabanela wanted nothing more than to head home and sleep until he had to get up and face another tiring and stressful day. He was running through some old reports, trying to find any patterns in Tengo's killings. All random…all innocents…

And where the heck was Jeego? Usually he wasn't far behind Tengo.

Jowd had left the office hours ago, leaving no one to talk to. Cabanela was _bored_.

The door opened.

He turned to face the barrel of a shotgun aimed at his forehead.

"Hello, detective."

"Helloooo, Jeego." Cabanela said stiffly. "I was beginning to wonder where you've been."

The sharply dressed assassin adjusted his hat so it concealed his eyes. "I've gotten a report that says you were in contact with Yomiel. Is this true?"

"Maaaaybe." Cabanela let the beginnings of a smile crawl onto his lips. "And maaaaybe not."

Jeego growled. "Don't play games with me. Answer! I was told he gave something to you…a small animal, perhaps?"

The smile faded quickly. Jeego gave a short chuckle, the barrel of his rifle wavering slightly. "Ah, so he _did_…"

"What do you want?"

"What do you think? I want the thing we've been after for ten years! _Ten years_!"

Jeego motioned to the door. "Now, lead me to wherever it is you've taken the animal!"

"You've got a looooot to learn." Cabanela's grin was back on his face.

Before Jeego could react, Cabanela had drawn a concealed pistol hidden in his coat and aimed it at the assassin's heart. Both of them froze, waiting to see who would move first.

"Well, detective, it seems you've left me no choice…" Jeego grinned. "You're a friend of Yomiel's aren't you?"

Cabanela didn't answer.

"Friends will…_regret_…the death of friends, right?"

Cabanela's arms began to shake.

"Luckily, your friend can bring people back from the dead. So it really doesn't matter if I pull this trigger here, will it?"

"He's not here." Cabanela said firmly. "I don't know where he went."

"Well, that's a shame." Jeego grinned nastily.

**XxXxXxXx**

**Jeego, you dolt. **

**Anyway, sorry for a short update, there's going to be much longer chapters in the future. **

**Hasta la Vista, Readers!**

**Lordoftheghostking28**


	7. Turnabout Death

**CHAPTER 6: Turnabout Death**

**XxXxXxXx**

**Whoa, look! An update! Amazing!**

**I had a job interview to VERY well and it gave me the motivation to write this up.**

**XxXxXxXx**

"Back before I came in contact with the shard, I had been a spy." Yomiel hesitated. "I…I was a spy for Sith."

"What?" Lynne gasped. "Why?"

"He was on a mission to find and get ahold of something to make him more powerful. He wanted to be noticed."

"So…he found out about Temsik?"

"He found something. I still don't know what." Yomiel said. "I suppose that's when I started to lose faith in him. He was telling us nothing about this mission…"

He trailed off, a miserable feeling settling over him. Anxious, Yomiel stared toward the door, specifically at the bottom, where a thin line of light shone. Nothing blocked it; no one outside.

"Yomiel?" Lynne asked.

"N-nothing, I just—"

_Yomiel_!

The darkness of the room brightened, replaced with the swirling red of the ghost world. Yomiel blinked in surprise at the black kitten, who was trembling with horror.

_Sissel? What's wrong? How did you get here?_

_I followed your aura, but that's not important right now! Jeego broke into the detective agency and he shot Cabanela! There's nothing I can do to avert his fate!_ Sissel paced in tight circles, eyes wide. _You need to come back! Quickly!_

Yomiel pulled himself from the ghost world and back into the darkened mortal one. "We'll continue this later, Lynne. I need to get to Cabanela."

"What? What's happened?" the redheaded detective demanded.

"I'll explain later." Yomiel jumped back into the ghost world. _Lead the way, Sissel_.

Jumping from object to object, it didn't take them long at all to make their way across the cities. A few times they had to time their jumps onto moving cars by shifting back into the living world, and Yomiel could only imagine the confusion on Lynne's face as his shell toppled over, seemingly lifeless, back in the motel room.

_And there you go again. Thinking of Lynne. Imagining Lynne. It's always Lynne._

_Shut up, Sissel_.

Sissel chuckled but didn't say anything else as they entered the police building. Cabanela was lying on the floor, papers and files shredded and thrown across the room. Blood stained the ones closest to his head, and his eyes were wide, glassy and unfocused, as if trying to recall the bullet as it found home in his head.

_Jeego did this_? Yomiel asked.

_Yeah. They…they were after me_. Sissel said.

_What_?

_When Jeego entered the room, he demanded where Cabanela had put 'the animal'. I think he meant me_. Sissel sounded uneasy. Yomiel could detect a thousand questions flying through his mind. _But…how would they know about me?_

_That's what we'll find out._ Yomiel jumped to Cabanela's fading core and turned back the clock.

**Police station**

**4 minutes before death**

Yomiel and Sissel were currently occupying a coffee mug and a pen, watching as Cabanela shifted through some files.

_No matter what I do, I can't alter Jeego's line of fire, I can't distract him with anything...I can't save him_! Sissel said. _I think our only hope is for you to take over Jeego and direct his line of fire somewhere else._

_I'll see what I can do._ Yomiel promised. The two of them didn't have to wait long.

**3 minutes before death**

The door opened.

Cabanela turned to face the barrel of a shotgun aimed at his forehead.

"Hello, detective."

"Helloooo, Jeego." Cabanela said stiffly. "I was beginning to wonder where you've been."

_Wait…before you do anything…you might want to see this._ Sissel said.

_I'd prefer to not watch my friend get killed_. Yomiel growled. He jumped to the barrel of the shotgun just in case.

"I've gotten a report that says you were in contact with Yomiel. Is this true?" Jeego was asking.

_Where the hell did you get this report_? Said phantom detective muttered.

"Maaaaybe." Cabanela let the beginnings of a smile crawl onto his lips. "And maaaaybe not."

Jeego growled. "Don't play games with me. Answer! I was told he gave something to you…a small animal, perhaps?"

The smile faded quickly from Cabanela's lips. Yomiel's mind ran completely blank from the questions that had been previously clouding his mind. Sissel? They somehow knew about Sissel? If that was the case, then everyone could be in more danger than he previously thought.

_That's what I was thinking._ Sissel added. _Kamila, Jowd, Alma and Missile especially_.

**2 minutes before death**

Jeego gave a short chuckle, the barrel of his rifle wavering slightly. "Ah, so I was right. You do have something."

"What do you want?"

"What do you think?" Jeego hissed, motioning to the door. "Now, lead me to wherever it is you've taken the animal!"

"You've got a looooot to learn." Cabanela's grin was back on his face.

Before Jeego could react, Cabanela had drawn a concealed pistol hidden in his coat. Before he could point it at the assassin's chest, Jeego had already reacted by taking aim and shooting. With a loud bang, Cabanela's weapon flew out of his hand and struck the wall. He gave a stifled shout, clutching at his heavily bleeding shoulder.

_This…this never happened before…_! Sissel was panicking.

**1 minute before death**

"Well, detective…" Jeego grinned. "You're a friend of Yomiel's aren't you?"

Cabanela didn't answer.

"Would you say he'd do anything in his power to prevent your death?"

"He's not here!" Cabanela spat. "I don't know where he went!"

"You don't know?" Jeego grinned nastily. "Would you like to find out?"

He directed the barrel of the shotgun back between Cabanela's eyes.

_No!_

Yomiel jumped from the weapon to Jeego's core. All at once, the ghost world faded to be replaced with what the assassin was seeing. Yomiel forced Jeego's arm to throw the weapon to a corner.

**Fate averted**

"Sorry I'm late, Cabanela." He said, amused by the shocked expression on the detective's face. "You should really get going."

Cabanela nodded and stumbled for the exit, hand still pressed over his bleeding shoulder.

Yomiel searched for a core within reach, finding one in Jeego's pocket. It was close enough to the coffee cup he had been taking refuge in earlier. He jumped to the core and was just about to reach for the cup when his vision was blotted out by chains.

Thousands of chains began to wrap themselves around Yomiel's spirit, squeezing and confining it to the cramped space of the mysterious core. All sound was blocked out, including the sound of Sissel's frantic shouts. It was completely silent.

He had walked into a trap.

**XxXxXxXx**

"Hey, Nick? There's a weird lady here to see you!" Maya called.

Phoenix tore his attention away from a case file. "I'll be right there…!" He hurriedly stuffed it into a drawer before adjusting his jacket lapels.

Maya walked into the main office, a smartly dressed woman with impossibly styled hair behind her.

Phoenix blinked. "Krása?"

The woman nodded. "Wright."

A few moments of awkward silence passed before Maya said, "Um…I'm hungry…gonna go get some food…" She awkwardly shuffled out of the room.

"What's wrong? Did something happen to Sith?" Phoenix asked.

"Nothing happened to Sith." Krása cast a glance at the door, as if fearing someone was listening in. "Quite the opposite, actually. I was sent to retrieve two things. The transmitter he gave you is one. Yomiel has been apprehended."

"He has?" Phoenix said.

"Yes. Thank you for your help." Krása held her hand out expectantly.

"…What's the other thing you need to retrieve?" Phoenix already knew the answer before the question left his lips.

"You, Mr. Wright. We hear you're excellent in extracting information from people." Krása smiled sweetly. "Of course, any information you manage to get from him is top secret. I trust you can keep it to yourself?"

"Wait just a minute…" Phoenix ran a hand through his hair. "What information am I supposed to be getting?"

"Information that can shake the very foundation of your country, Mr. Wright." Krása's smile didn't waver in the slightest.

**XxXxXxXx**

**I lied about the longer chapter thing. **

**Remember to review!**

**Hasta la Vista, Readers!**

**Lordoftheghostking28**


	8. Turnabout Questions

**CHAPTER 7: Turnabout Questions**

**XxXxXxXx**

**Longer chapter this time, I swear.**

**XxXxXxXx**

It was about a half-hour drive until Phoenix and Krása reached Sith's hideout. Unfortunately, Phoenix had no idea whatsoever about where they were, due to the heavy blindfold that had been obscuring his eyes for the entire journey. Currently, he was being guided down some sort of hall. Krása lifted his hand and placed it on a doorknob, ripping the blindfold off at the same time.

"Go on in. Quickly."

Phoenix turned the old brass handle and stepped into a brightly lit, cream coloured room. It was divided in two, the halves separated by a thick pane of glass that didn't quite reach the ceiling. The only piece of furniture, an old wooden chair, was placed on the opposite side of the glass. A door separated the two sides of the glass.

Sitting in the chair was Yomiel, hands bound behind his back. Two azul-skinned men in suits were standing on either side of him, holding no visible weapons.

"Yomiel." Krása said harshly.

He glanced up at her, his face contorted into an extremely angry expression. He settled his gaze on Phoenix, a look of shock and more anger settling over his face. "_You_!"

"We are going to ask you a few questions." Krása continued. "Failure to answer them will result in…consequences."

"What?" Phoenix blurted. "What consequences? This is …inhumane!"

"Mr. Wright." Krása glared. "I need your help. I do not know exactly when he lies. This is your job. Nothing more."

"Let me see Lynne." Yomiel continued. A hint of desperation began to crawl into his voice. "Is she ok? You didn't harm her, did you?"

"You caught his friend, too?" Phoenix blinked.

"Yomiel, we know that you're not the only one with these ghost tricks." Krása continued as if she didn't hear him. "There is an animal, one that has been following you around until very recently. Where can we find this animal?"

Yomiel fell silent, casting a bewildered look at Phoenix. "You told her, didn't you?!"

"What?" More confused than ever, Phoenix shook his head. "I…What?"

Faintly, chains began to crisscross Yomiel's form, locking him behind a transparent wall. Phoenix squinted, wondering why the chains were so faint. _Maybe it's the distance between us_…

One thing was for certain; at least twenty locks secured Yomiel's secrets.

"The animal. Where can I find it?" Krása repeated.

Yomiel still didn't answer. One of the guards grabbed a fistful of his hair, wrenching his head backward. The other one pulled a small pocketknife from his belt and flicked the blade open.

"NO!" Phoenix shouted. Even though he knew it was pointless, he ran to the pane of glass separating the two sides, slamming his fist against it. "You'll kill him!"

Even as he said these words, he knew them to be false.

The guard plunged the blade of the knife into Yomiel's throat, a stream of blood quickly making its way down his neck and into his suit's collar. Yomiel uttered a terrible, wet gasping sound, blood bubbling from his mouth. The guard retracted the knife, wiping it on his sleeve.

Yomiel continued to sputter until the wound in his throat closed. Blood still decorated his skin, as bright as his suit.

"Y…you…you can't do that!" Phoenix stuttered, turning to face Krása again. "That's…that's torture!"

"Believe me, I wish there was another way." Krása said emotionlessly.

"There is another way! There is always another way!" Phoenix protested. "I…I want to talk to Sith!"

He turned toward the door and turned the handle, only to find it locked. "Krása, please, let me talk to—"

Phoenix stopped talking as something metallic and cold was pressed into the back of his neck. Krása gently lay a hand on his shoulder and roughly spun him around to face the glass pane again, the gun still pressed to his back. "I'm sorry, Mr. Wright, but I wish there was another way."

Phoenix gulped nervously.

"Now, help me extract what I want to know from him or the Wright and Co. Law Office will be needing a new manager."

Phoenix turned his attention to Yomiel, who was putting effort into ignoring him. The young lawyer nervously fiddled with his sleeve. "Um…can I get a chair? Something to sit on…?"

Krása absentmindedly shouted toward the door. "Zvíře! Please make our _guest_ comfortable!"

The door was unlocked and a timid, short man with a flop of blonde hair shuffled into the room, carrying a rather old looking chair. "Here you are, Beauty…"

"It's not for me, idiot!" Krása hissed. "And that is not my name!"

"Zvíře?" Phoenix sighed. "How did I know you were caught up in this mess too?"

Zvíře shuffled nervously back to the door, avoiding eye contact. Phoenix thought, for a split second, that he could make a run for it.

"Please, sit." Krása rammed the end of the gun into Phoenix's shoulder, forcing him down. Phoenix rubbed at his limb, hoping that blow wouldn't leave a mark. "Now, where were we?"

The silence that covered the room was nearly deafening. Just as Krása opened her mouth to speak again, Yomiel beat her to it.

"I'll tell you everything…on one condition."

"You are hardly in a position to negotiate." Krása scoffed.

"I will tell you everything you want to know if you let Lynne and Phoenix go." Yomiel stated. "Now hurry, before I change my mind."

Krása tapped at her chin with a slender finger. "Hmmm. And what if we use your redheaded girlfriend as target practice every time you hesitate? She doesn't have these ghost tricks, after all. And you can't take control of these guards."

Yomiel's lips twisted into a snarl. "Hurt her, and you can guarantee I will never tell you anything."

"You say that now, but what about when I'm about to redecorate these walls with her blood?"

"I DARE YOU! SEE IF YOU GET YOUR PRECIOUS INFORMATION FROM ME THEN!"

"He's telling the truth…" Phoenix chipped in.

Krása narrowed her eyes at him before addressing Yomiel again. "Fine. I suppose your request can be fulfilled. Zvíře!"

The door unlocked again. Zvíře cautiously poked his head into the room. "Yes…?"

"See to it that Miss Lynne and Mr. Phoenix are shown the way out."

"Oh…! R…right away, ma'am!" Zvíře motioned for Phoenix to follow him. "Hurry, now!"

Phoenix cast a glance at Krása, who simply pointed to the exit. "Well, go!"

"Yes, h-hurry…" Zvíře said.

Phoenix followed the shorter man into the hall, where he quickly re-locked the door again.

"Are we really free to go?" Phoenix asked.

"Well, no…" Zvíře said. "And I'm…sorry…for what's going to happen. But it's for the best."

"What? What do you mean? What—"

_Pop_!

Something stuck into the back of Phoenix's arm. In a panic of confusion and slight pain, the lawyer quickly pulled an object about the size of a pin from his sleeve. Something lined the tip of the dart…

"Oh no…" Phoenix muttered before the world began to go dark. The last thing he remembered was collapsing to the floor.

**XxXxXxXx**

"Hello? _Hello_? Oh, I'm starving…"

Phoenix slowly sat up, his eyes adjusting to the semi-darkness. His mind felt fuzzy and his arm hurt. How long had he been out…?

"Is anyone out there? I want something to eat!"

That voice…that was the redheaded detective. Lynne.

"Lynne?" Phoenix asked.

"Huh? Oh, you're finally awake?"

"More or less…"

The detective backed away from the door, having completely forgot about her hunger. "You've been out for a long time. I don't know what's going on, but I do know we're not getting out of here anytime soon…"

"They've got Yomiel in questioning." Phoenix said. "They tried to get me to cooperate with them as well."

"Oh no!" Lynne gasped. "We've got to get out of here! If he tells them anything, that can be bad news for us…!"

"So he's told you what he refuses to tell Sith?" Phoenix asked.

"Well…no…" Lynne chuckled nervously. "He was interrupted before he could get into the important stuff. But I guess whatever he knows is so secretive that he'd sooner die than tell them. And I assume you know by now he can't die."

"Yeah." Phoenix joined her by the door. "Are there any weak spots on the frame? Anything?"

"No, I've spent the last half-hour just rattling the door. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that no one's down here. I've been making a lot of noise and no one's told me to stop."

Phoenix pinched the bridge of his nose. "If only there was something in here we could use to smash our way out…like a table."

Lynne sat down, her back against the door. "Unfortunately, there's nothing."

Phoenix sat down beside her. "Perhaps an opportunity will show up…"

"I doubt it." Lynne sighed.

Silence reigned over the prison cell for a few moments. Lynne fiddled with her detective badge and Phoenix turned the Magatama over and over in his hand.

"That girl that Yomiel frightened…is she doing all right?" Lynne asked, taking notice of the object.

"Huh? Pearls? Yeah…she's doing fine." Phoenix said. "She said she was only scared because Yomiel was."

"She can sense emotions?"

"Well…sort of. She can read Auras." Phoenix explained. "She said that Yomiel deeply cared about you and he was scared."

Lynne hesitated. "…I think we can begin piecing together what Sith was after and what Yomiel didn't get the chance to tell me."

"How?"

"Well, for starters," Lynne pointed at the Magatama. "What is that? Pearl was wearing that, wasn't she?"

"Something like it, yeah." Phoenix said. "She's a spirit medium. She can channel spirits from beyond the grave."

"It's the exact colour as the meteorite that's in Temsik park." Lynne frowned.

"This was carved from a boulder in a village in the mountains…Kurain Village."

Confusion and worry simultaneously occupied Lynne's face. She muttered something to herself, sounding worried.

"What's that?" Phoenix asked.

"I said, 'what if there's two?' Two meteorites, I mean…"

"Meteorites? I thought the boulder in Kurain was just that; a boulder."

"About ten year ago, a meteorite crashed in Temsik park. Do you know where that is?" Lynne asked.

Phoenix shook his head. "Sorry. I've never heard of it before."

"Well, anyway, it arrived with some sort of power." The redhead continued. "And that's why Yomiel has ghost tricks. Part of the meteorite got inside him, but I don't know when, exactly. But almost three months after the meteorite crashed, it vanished. It just vanished overnight. No one knows who took it or what was done with it."

"It couldn't have been transported to Kurain, either. Maya was born in a hut next to the boulder." Phoenix nodded. "I think there are two of these strange rocks."

"I would hardly call them that. Anyway, as far as I know, Yomiel and Sissel are the only two with these ghost tricks…"

"Sissel? Who's Sissel?" Phoenix asked.

"His cat." Lynne said, grinning at the confusion on the lawyer's face. "I actually know how Sissel came to have these ghost tricks."

"How?"

"He died." Lynne said. "The poor thing. Yomiel said he was hit by a car."

"So…he just died and suddenly had these powers."

"No, he died in Yomiel's arms." Lynne said. "Yomiel picked him up and was trying to get him to a vet."

"That's…horrible." Phoenix said.

"He woke up a few minutes later, although he was still pretty mangled from the car. Yomiel did get him to a vet, and after a while, he was back to normal."

"So Sissel didn't have regenerative powers like Yomiel?" Phoenix rubbed at the back of his neck, thinking. "He still had to be _repaired_, so to speak?"

"Yeah."

"Yomiel has the shard imbedded in his chest, right? What if having direct power and constant contact with this fragment can cause the user of these tricks to be a lot more powerful?"

Lynne tapped her chin. "Yeah…I think you're on to something here!"

"There was one other thing that worried me." Phoenix glanced nervously at the door, afraid of someone else listening in. "You said you think those two are the only ones with ghost tricks?"

"Yeah?" Lynne asked slowly. "Why…?"

"I know that at least one other person has it too. Krása, the woman working for Sith."

"This is a problem…" Lynne frowned, twisting at a strand of hair. "Yomiel told me that ghost tricks can vary…he can control and manipulate objects and people, but like you said, that may only be because of his close contact with the shard. Sissel, on the other hand, can only manipulate objects. He can only move certain things, or unlock basic locks. Depending on how this Krása lady has the shard, her tricks can be anywhere from physical to…to mind control!"

"I sure hope not…" Phoenix gulped.

**XxXxXxXx**

"You have nowhere to run. All cores are out of reach. I tested this theory myself."

Yomiel glared through the glass at Sith. His sunglasses were cracked and hanging crookedly from one ear, casting the room in an odd too-dark-too-bright lighting.

"Just make this easier on yourself and tell us what we want to know." Sith continued. "We just want to know a few simple things."

"What did you do with Lynne?" Yomiel demanded.

"First, you demand we let her go, and now you want her brought back?" Sith chuckled. "Make up your mind."

"Sir, please let me do this my way…" Krása mumbled.

"Patience, my dear. All in due time." Sith grinned heartily, but it was anything but comforting. "Now, let me simplify things for you."

He took a few steps toward the glass. Yomiel briefly entered the ghost world and tried in vain to reach the core of a key ring connected to Sith's belt. It was just barely out of reach…

"Where is the animal with these ghost tricks?" Sith's smile was gone. "You do know that one of our rules is we just don't give out these tricks for free, right?"

Yomiel remained silent.

"Shall I get Zvíře?" Krása asked.

"Yes…yes, I believe it's his turn to shine." Sith nodded.

Krása left the room, leaving Yomiel in a state of near-panic.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Zvíře has the rather unique tricks up his sleeve." Sith explained. "He can travel freely into the past, but he cannot alter it. He can, however, listen and observe everything he comes in contact with."

"Impossible…!" Yomiel gaped.

"Unfortunately, he cannot always use this power of his. Every time he does, his connection with his Temsik fragment grows weaker and weaker."

"Good to know there's a catch." Yomiel muttered. The guard on his left delivered a hard blow to his temple. Stars danced in front of his eyes but rapidly cleared due to the shard of Temsik in his chest.

"I can imagine you know where I'm going with this, don't you?" Sith asked. "Zvíře will travel back in time to when you gave the animal to that other man…the one with the red scarf. Two birds with one stone, eh? We can take out the man who turned you against us and the animal that helped."

Yomiel gulped. "I…I don't know what you're talking about."

**XxXxXxXx**

"So Sith obviously wants all of this Temsik rock." Lynne drew two circles in the dusty ground. "These are the meteors. He's got one…" she drew a large X on one of them.

"So it's safe to assume that he's going after the one in Kurain village." Phoenix finished. "And if that's the case, the entire village may be in danger."

"We can discuss his motive for getting both of these rocks at a later date. Right now, that village needs us!" Lynne stood and kicked the door, sending a deep clanging sound throughout the tiny room.

"I don't think that will help." Phoenix sighed.

"I don't have any other ideas! There is no way out of here! How are we going to save a village if we can't save ourselves?"

"Let me try." Phoenix offered.

Lynne stepped to the side. "Fine, be my guest. Good luck."

Phoenix took a few steps back before running back at the door, ramming his shoulder into it. He expected his arm to break, but instead, the door gave way and he stumbled into the hall, where he tripped over his own shoes.

"What?!" Lynne growled. "How did you do that?"

_He didn't do that_. A voice said. _I did. I'm glad you're still alive_.

Lynne and Phoenix found themselves in the ghost world, facing a tiny black kitten.

_What are you doing here?_ Lynne asked. _Go back to Kamila_!

_At the most, I only left them for a few minutes_. Sissel said. _I searched the entire town for you. You're not going to believe where you are_.

_Well, tell us_. Phoenix prompted.

_This isn't a jail of any kind. It's the basement of an old airport hanger_.

_Wait…so Sith is planning to catch a plane and fly somewhere_? Lynne asked.

_I think I know where, too._ Phoenix said in a worried tone. _He can't possibly know where Kurain is, but he can locate it rather easily from the air. He's planning a flyby in some sort of aircraft, right_?

_I think so_. Sissel nodded. _That's all I know on the subject. The rest is up to you guys_.

Just as the red and black of the ghost world began to fade, Lynne shouted, _Sissel, wait! Before you go, there's something I have to tell you_…

The darkened basement faded away again. _Yes?_ Sissel asked.

_Don't try and save Yomiel. They know about you and your ghost tricks, and they've obviously done something to him…I mean, we would be out of here already if Yomiel was able to use his tricks, right_?

…_I understand. But this means that you have to save him yourselves_. Sissel said.

The ghost world faded again, leaving them in the darkened basement. Lynne turned to Phoenix and nodded.

"Come on, we probably don't have much time."

**XxXxXxXx**

** Yeah, I have some slightly bad news, but at the same time it's good news, for me at least.**

** I've got a job!**

** So that means money for me, and more delayed update times for you guys. Sorry, and thank you so much for sticking with me through this story. You're the best.**

** Hasta la Vista, Readers!**

** Lordoftheghostking28**


End file.
